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IRVING'S COLUMBUS. 



State of Xrto=York, 

SECRETARY'S OFFICE. 

Albany, 30th May, 1833 

To the Trustees of the several School Districts in this State. 



\ 



The Legislature, at their late session, adopted the following Resolutions, 
Which, in obedience to the direction contained in them, are communi- 
cated for your information. 

STATE OF NEW-YORK, ) 
In Senate, April 26, 1833. ) 

Resolved (If the Assembly concur), That, in the opinion of the Legis- 
lature, the work entitled " The Life and Voyages of Christopher Colum- 
bus, by Washington Irving, abridged by the same," from the national 
character of the subject, the fidelity and interest of the narrative, and the 
purity and elegance of the style, is eminently fit to be used as a class- 
book in the Common Schools of this State ; and it is hereby recom- 
mended to the trustees of the several school districts to take the neces- 
sary measures to introduce the same into the schools under their charge 
with as little delay as circumstances may permit. 

Resolved (If the Assembly concur), That the Secretary of State, as 
Superintendent of Common Schools, be, and he is hereby directed, to 
address a Circular Letter to the trustees of the several school districts 
within this State, enclosing a certified copy of the preceding Resolution, 
and supporting the propriety of the recommendation therein contained 
with such observations as he may deem proper. 

By Order, JOHN F. BACON, Clerk of the Senate. 

STATE OF NEW-YORK, ) 
In Assembly, April29, 1833. ( 
Resolved, That this House do concur with the Senate in their said 
Resolutions. By Order, 

FRANCIS SEG ER, Clerk of the Assembly 

The adoption of these Resolutions constitutes the first exception to the 
estabUshed policy of the Legislature in abstaining from all interference, 
so far as the selection of books is concerned, with the course of instruc- 
tion pursued in the Common Schools. Numerous applications had from 
time to time been made to procure a Legislative sanction for particular 
books, but uniformly without success. The departure in this instance 
from a settled principle — a principle which has been deemed essential to 
the successful operation of the Common School system — is not to be 
regarded as indicating a change of purpose on the part of the Legislature 
The merits of the work which they have thought proper to recommend, 
the distinguished literary reputation of the author, and the honour which 
he has conferred on his native State by the productions of his genius, 
were considered as presentmg a fit occasion for relaxing the rule ; and, in 
60 doing, it was believed that the precedent could not well be imitated, 
since the same circumstances would not again be likely to occur. 



3 IRVING S COLUMBUS. 

Mr. Irving was among the first of the natives of this State who have 
devoted themselves to the pursuits of literature. He commenced his 
career as an author, in the city of New-York, at a time when the impulses 
to literary distinction found little encouragement in the prevailing spirit 
of enterprise, and the busy habits of society. The character of the 
country was essentially commercial ; and neither wealth nor leisure was 
lent, in any considerable degree, to the cultivation of letters. Notwith- 
standing these unpropitious circumstances, his earliest productions ex- 
cited a general interest among his countrymen, through the same origin- 
ality of thought and beauty of expression which so eminently distinguish 
his later works, and which command the admiration of all who are fami- 
liar with our language and literature. In a word, it may be said, without 
injustice to any of his contemporaries, that no native of the United States 
has contributed in a greater degree to resc\ie our literary character from 
reproach, by extorting, even from the harsh awards of European criticism, 
unquahfied testimonials of praise. 

The "Life and Voyages of Columbus" were written under circum- 
stances well calculated to secure what the author is universally admitted 
to have attained — fidelity in historical detail, and in deUneations both of 
national and individual character. Unwilling to trupt to the narratives, 
for the most part contradictory and ill authenticated, in which the history 
of the discovery had been transmitted to our own times, Mr. Irving re- 
paired to Madrid, and sought the materials for his work m the archives 
of that ancient city. He consulted the most authentic sources of intelli- 
gence with regard to the man of whose character and actions it was to 
treat, and with regard to the country and the age with which he is iden- 
tified ; and he composed it amid the living memorials of ancient Spain, 
with the records of her chivalry, her power, and her magnificence before 
him. He has presented the conflicts of the discoverer with the prejudices 
of the Old World, and with the seductions and perils of the New, the 
glorious triumph of his great enterprise, and the termination of his career 
amid the visitations of neglect and ingratitude, in a strain of chaste and 
eloquent diction, unsurpassed, if not unequalled, by any work of the 
present day : and he has imbued it deeply with a pure and high-toned 
morality. 

The abridgment, which the Legislature have recommended in the fore- 
going Resolutions to be used in the Common Schools as a class-book, 
possesses all the characteristic merits of the original work, although, in a 
composition so full of beauties, many have necessarily been lost in com- 
pressing it into a narrower compass : and the Superintendent does not 
hesitate to say, that he knows no work better suited to be introduced into 
the Common Schools for the use of the higher classes. Independently 
of the unblemished purity of its style and thought, it exhibits in a minute 
detail, with which all should be familiar, the discovery and first settle- 
ment by civilized men of the continent m which our own country occupies 
so conspicuous a place — a continent destined, perhaps, at no distant day, 
through the influence of the free institutions which have taken root 
among us, to ahange the political character of the Old World, by pouring 
into it, in streams far more precious than the fountains of wealth which 
were opened by the discovery, the treasures of an enlightened and prac- 
tical freedom. 

JOHN A. DIX, Superintendent of, Comrngti SchooU^ 



THE '■ 'i,"^':^ ^^^^ 

LIFE AND VOYAGES • 






CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, 

BY 
WASHINGTON IRVING. 

(ABRffiGED BY THE SAME.) 



Venient annis 
Saecula seris, quibus Oceanus 
Vinciila rerum laxet, et ingens 
Pateat tellus, Typhisque novos 
Detegat Orbes, nee sit terris 
Ultima Thule. 

Seneca Medea. 



A NEW EDITION, 

WITH ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS, 
BY THE AUTHOR. 



NEW-YORK: 

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. & J. HARPER, 

NO. 82 CLIFF-STREET, 

AND FOR SALE BY THE PRINCIPAL BOOKSELLERS THROUGHOUT 

THE UNITED STATES. 

18 33. 



■174 3 



Entered according to act of Congress, In the year one thousand ei^t hundred and 
thirty-one, by Washington Irving, in the Clerk's office of the Southern District of 

New-York. 










ADVERTISEMEJJirT. 



Having been informed that some person in the United 
States had undertaken to fabricate a less vohiminous 
work out of my history of the life and voyages of Co- 
lumbus, I have thought proper immediately to execute 
my original intention of making an abridgment of the 
history, to adapt it for general circulation. In this I 
trust I have given a satisfactory abstract of every thing 
of essential importance in the larger work, and have 
preserved those parts nearly entire which have been 
"considered the most striking and characteristic. It is 
probable, also, that the narrative has gained in spirit in 
many parts, by the omission of details which caused pro- 
lixity, but which could not be omitted in what professed 
to be a complete and circumstantial history of the 
subject. 

I have felt the more hurt at this attempt to supercede 
my work with the public, from having always considered 
it as a peculiar offering to my countrymen, whose good 
opinion, however the contrary may have been in- 



4 ADVERTISEMENT. 

siimated, has never ceased to be the leading object of my 
ambition, and the dearest wish of my heart : and I must 
confess that, in assiduously labouring at this history of 
the first discovery of our country, I have been chiefly 
animated by the hope, that the interest of the subject 
would cause the work to remain among my countrymen, 
and with it a remembrance of the author, when all the frail 
productions of his fancy might have perished and been 
forgotten. 

W.I. 
Seville, Decemherj 1828. 



THE 



lilFE AXD VOYAGES 



OF 



COIiUMBUS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Whether in old times beyond the reach of history 
or tradition, and at some remote period when, as some 
imagine, the arts may have flourished to a degree un- 
known to those whom we term the ancients, there ex- 
isted an intercourse between the opposite shores of the 
Atlantic; whether the Egyptian legend narrated by Plato, 
respecting the island of Atalantis, was indeed no fable, but 
the tradition of some country, engulphed by one of 
those mighty convulsions of our globe, which have left 
the traces of the ocean on the summits of lofty moun- 
tains ; must ever remain matters of vague and visionary 

1* 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

speculation. As far as authenticated history extends, 
nothing was known of terra-firma, and the islands of 
the western hemisphere, until their discovery towards 
the close of the fifteenth century. A wandering bark 
may occasionally have lost sight of the landmarks of 
the old continents, and been driven by tempests across 
the wilderness of waters, long before the invention of 
the compass, but none ever returned to reveal the secrets 
of the ocean ; and though, from time to time, some docu- 
ment has floated to the old world, giving to its wondering 
inhabitants indications ofland far beyond their watery ho- 
rizon, yet no one ventured to spread a sail, and seek 
that land, enveloped in mystery and peril. Or if the 
legends of the Scandinavian voyagers be correct, and 
their mysterious Vinland were the coast of Labrador 
or the shore of Newfoundland, they had but transient 
glimpses of the New World, leading to no permanent 
knowledge, and in a little time lost again to mankind. 
Certain it is, that at the beginning of the fifteenth cen- 
tury, when the most intelligent minds were seeking in 
every direction for the scattered lights of geographical 
knowledge, a profound ignorance prevailed among the 
learned as to the western regions of the Atlantic ; its 
vast waters were regarded with awe and wonder, seem- 
ing to bound the world as with a chaos, into which 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

conje-cture could not penetrate, and enterprise feared to 
adventure. We need no greater proof of this, than the 
description given of the Atlantic by Xerif al Edrisi, sur- 
named the Nubian, an eminent Arabian writer, whose 
countrymen possessed all that was known of geography 
in the middle ages. 

"The ocean," he observes, "encircles the ultimate 
bounds of the inhabited earth, and all beyond it is un- 
known. No one has been able to verify any thing con- 
cerning it, on account of its difficult and perilous navi- 
gation, its great obscurity, its profound depth, and 
frequent tempests ; through fear of its mighty fishes, 
and its haughty winds ; yet there are many islands in it, 
some of which are peopled, and others uninhabited. 
There is no mariner who dares to enter into its deep 
waters ; or if any have done so, they have merely kept 
along its coasts, fearful of departing from them. The 
waves of this ocean, although they roll as high as moun- 
tains, yet maintain themselves without breaking ; for if 
they broke, it would be impossible for a ship to plough 
them." 

It is the object of the following work, to relate the 
deeds and fortunes of the mariner, who first had the 
judgment to divine, and the intrepidity to brave, the mys- 
teries of this perilous deep; and who, by his hardy 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

genius, his inflexible constancy, and hife heroic courage, 
brought the ends of the earth into communication with 
each other. The narrative of his troubled life is the 
link which connects the history of the old world with that 
of the new. 



CHAPTER I. 



Birth, parentage, education, and early life of Columbus. 



Christopher Columbus, or Columbo, as the name is 
written in Italian, was born in the city of Genoa, about 
the year 1435, of poor but reputable and meritorious 
parentage. He was the son of Domenico Colombo, a 
wool comber, and Susanna Fontanarossa, his wife ; and 
his ancestors seem to have followed the same trade for 
several generations in Genoa. Attempts have been 
made to prove him of illustrious descent, and several 
noble houses have laid claim to him since his name has 
become so renowned as to confer rather than receive 
distinction. It is possible some of them may be in the 
right, for the feuds in Italy in those ages had broken 
down and scattered many of the noblest families, and 
while some branches remained in the lordly heritage of 
castles and domains, others were confounded with the 
humblest population of the cities. The fact, however, 
is not material to his fame ; and it is a higher proof of 
merit to be the object of contention among various noble 
families, than to be able to substantiate the most illustri- 
ous lineage. His son Fernando had a true feeling on 
the subject. " I am of opinion," says he, " that I should 
derive less dignity from any nobility of ancestry, than 
from being the son of such a father." 

Columbus was the oldest of four children ; having two 



10 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

brothers, Bartholomew and Giacomo, or, as his name is 
translated into Spanish, Diego, and one sister, of whom 
nothing is known, excepting that she was married to a 
person in obscure life, called Giacomo Bavarello. 

While very young, Columbus was taught reading, wri- 
ting, grammar, and arithmetic, and made some pro- 
ficiency in drawing. He soon evinced a strong passion 
for geographical knowledge, and an irresistible inclina- 
tion for the sea ; and in after life, when he looked back 
upon his career with a solemn and superstitious feeling, 
he regarded this early determination of his mind as an 
impulse from the deity, guiding him to the studies, and 
inspiring him with the inclinations, proper to fit him for 
the high decrees he was destined to accomplish. His 
father, seeing the bent of his mind, endeavoured to give 
him an education suitable for maritime life. He sent him, 
therefore, to the university of Pavia, where he was instruct- 
ed in geometry, geography, astronomy, and navigation ; he 
acquired also a familiar knowledge of the Latin tongue, 
which at that time was the medium of instruction, and 
the language of the schools. He remained but a short 
time at Pavia, barely sufficient to give him the rudi- 
ments of the necessary sciences ; the thorough acquaint- 
ance with them which he displayed in after life, must 
have been the result of diligent self-schooling, and of 
casual hours of study, amidst the cares and vicissitudes 
of a rugged and wandering life. He was one of those 
men of strong natural genius, who appear to form them- 
selves ; who, from having' to contend at their very outset 
with privations and impediments, acquire an intrepidity 
in braving and a facility in vanquishing difficulties. Such 
men learn to effect great purposes with small means, 
supplying the deficiency of the latter by the resources of 



OF COLUMBUS. 11 

their own aneigy and invention. This is one of the 
remarkable features in the history of Columbus. In 
every undertaking, the scantiness and apparent insuffi- 
ciency of his means enhance the grandeur of his achieve- 
ments. 

Shortly after leaving the university, he entered into 
nautical life, and, according to his own account, began 
to navigate at fourteen years of age. A complete ob- 
scurity rests upon this part of his history. It is supposed 
he made his first voyages with one Colombo, a hardy cap- 
tain of the seas, who had risen to some distinction by 
his bravery, and who was a distant connexion of his 
family. This veteran is occasionally mentioned in old 
chronicles ; sometimes as commanding a squadron of 
his own, sometimes as being an admiral in the Genoese 
ser/ice. He appears to have been bold and adventurous, 
ready to fight in any cause, and to seek quarrel wherever 
it might lawfully be found. 

The seafaring life in those days was peculiarly full of 
hazard and enterprise. Even a commercial expedition 
resembled a warlike cruise, and the maritime merchant 
had often to fight his way from port to port. Piracy 
was almost legalized. The frequent feuds between the 
Italian states ; the cruisings of the Catalonians ; the ar- 
madas fitted out by noblemen, who were petty sovereigns 
in their own domains ; the roving ships and squadrons 
of private adventurers ; and the holy wars waged with 
the Mahometan powers, rendered the narrow seas to 
which navigation was principally confined, scenes of the 
most hardy encounters and trying reverses. Such was the 
rugged school in which Columbus was reared, and such 
the rugged teacher that first broke him in to naval dis- 
cipline. 



12 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

The first voyage in which we hear any account of his 
being engaged, was in a naval expedition fitted out at 
Genoa in 1459, by John of Anjou, Duke of Calabria, to 
make a descent upon Naples, in the hope of recovering 
that kingdom for his father. King Reinier or Renato, 
otherwise called Rene, Count de Provence. In this en- 
terprise the republic of Genoa aided with -ships and 
money, and many private adventurers fitted out ships 
and galleys, and engaged under the banners of Anjou. 
Among the number was the hardy veteran Colombo, 
who had command of a squadron, and with him sailed 
his youthful relation. 

The struggle of John of Anjou for the crown of Na- 
ples lasted about four years, with varied fortune, and 
much hard service. The naval part of the expedition 
distinguished itself by various acts of intrepidity, and 
when the unfortunate duke was at length reduced to 
take refuge in the island of Ischia, a handful of galleys 
loyally adhered to him, guarded the island, and scoured 
and controlled the whole bay of Naples. It is presu- 
med that Columbus served on board of this squadron. 
That he must have distinguished himself in the course 
of the expedition is evident, from his having been at one 
time appointed to a separate command, and sent on a 
daring enterprise to cut out a galley from the port of 
Tunis," in the course of which he exhibited great resolu- 
tion and address. 

There is an interval of several years, during which we 
have but one or two shadowy traces of Columbus, who 
is supposed to have been principally engaged in the Me- 
diterranean, and up the Levant, sometimes in voyages of 
commerce, sometimes in warlike contests between the 
Italian states, sometimes in pious and predatory expedi- 



OF COLUMBUS. IB 

tions against the infidels, during which time he was often 
under the perilous command of his old fighting relation, 
the veteran Colombo. 

The last, anecdote we have of this obscure part of his 
life is given by his son Fernando. He says that his 
father sailed for some time with Colombo the younger, a 
famous corsair, nephew to the old admiral just men- 
tioned, and apparently heir of his warlike propensities 
and prowess, for Fernando affirms that he was so terrible 
for his deeds against the infidels, that the Moorish mo- 
thers used to frighten their unruly children with his 
name. 

This bold rover waylaid four Venetian galleys, richly 
•laden, on their return voyage from Flanders, and attacked 
them with his squadron on the Portuguese coast between 
Lisbon and Cape St. Vincent. The battle lasted from 
morning until evening, with great carnage on both sides. 
The vessels grappled each other, and the crews fought 
hand to hand, and from ship to ship. The vessel com- 
manded- by Columbus was engaged with a huge Venetian 
galley. They threw hand grenades and other fiery mis- 
siles, and the galley was wrapped in flames. The ves- 
sels being fastened together by chains and iron grap- 
plings, could not be separated, and both became a mere; 
blazing mass, involved in one conflagration. The crews- 
threw themselves into the sea ; Columbus seized an oar 
which was floating near him, and being an expert swim- 
mer, attained the shore, though full two leagues distant. 
It pleased God, adds his son Fernando, to give him 
strength, that he might preserve him foT greater things. 
After recovering from his exhaustion, he repaired to 
Lisbon, where he found many of his Genoese country- 
men, and was induced to take up his residence. 
2 



14 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Such IS the account given by Fernando of his father's 
first arrival in Portugal ; and it has been currently 
adopted by modern historians "; but on examining various 
liistories of the times, the battle here described appears 
to have happened several years after the date of the 
arrival of Columbus in that country. That he was en- 
gaged in the contest is not improbable ; but he had pre- 
viously resided for some time in Portugal. In fact, on 
referring to the history of that kingdom, we shall find, 
in the great maritime enterprises in which it was at tliat 
time engaged, ample attractions for a person of his in- 
clinations and pursuits ; and we shall be led to conclude, 
that his first visit to Lisbon was not the fortuitous result 
of a desperate adventure, but was undertaken in a spirit 
of liberal curiosity, and in the pursuit of honourable 
fortune. 



CHAPTER II. 

Progress of Discovery under Prince Henry of Portugal, 
Residence of Columbus in Lisbon. Ideas concerning 
Islands in the Ocean. 

The career of modern discovery had commenced 
shortly before the time of Columbus, and, at the period of 
which we are treating, was prosecuted with great activity 
by Portugal. The re-discovery of the Canary Islands, in 
the fourteenth century, and the occasional voyages made 
to them, and to the opposite shores of Africa, had first 
turned the attention of mankind in that direction. The 
gr£)»nd impulse to discover), however, was given by 



OF COLUMBUS. 15 

Prince Henry of Portugal, son of John the first, sur- 
named the Avenger, and PhiUppa of Lancaster, sister of 
Henry the fourth of England. Having accompanied his 
father into Africa, in an expedition against the Moors, 
he received much information at Ceuta concerning the 
coast of Guinea, and other regions entirely unknown to 
Europeans ; and conceived an idea that important dis- 
coveries were to be made, by navigating along the 
western coast of Africa. On returning to Portugal, he 
pursued the vein of inquiry thus accidentally opened. 
Abandoning the court, he retired to a country retreat in 
the Algarves, near to Sagres, in the neighbourhood of 
•Cape St. Vincent, and in full view of the Ocean. Here he 
drew round him men eminent in science, and gave him- 
self up to those branches of study connected with the 
maritime arts. He made himself master of all the geo- 
graphical knowledge of the ancients, and of the astrono- 
mical science of the Arabians of Spain. The result of 
his studies was a firm conviction that Africa was circum- 
navigable, and that it was possible, by keeping along its 
shores, to arrive at India. 

For a long time past, the opulent trade of Asia had 
been monopolized by the Italians ; who had their com- 
mercial establishments at Constantinople, and in the 
Black Sea. Thither all the precious commodities of the 
east were conveyed by a circuitous and expensive internal 
route, to be thence distributed over Europe. The repub- 
lics of Venice and Genoa had risen to power and opu- 
lence, in consequence of this monopoly ; their merchants 
emulated the magnificence of princes, and held Europe, 
in a manner, tributary to their commerce. It was the grand 
idea of Prince Henry, by circumnavigating Africa, to open 
an easier and less expensive route to the source of this 



16 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

commerce, to turn it suddenly into a new and simple chan- 
nel, and to pour it out in a golden tide upon his country. 
He was before the age in thought, and had to struggle hard 
against the ignorance and prejudices of mankind in the 
prosecution of his design. Navigation was yet in its 
infancy ; mariners feared to venture far from the coast, 
or out of sight of its land marks ; and they looked with 
awe at the vast and unknown expanse of the Atlantic; 
they cherished the old belief that the earth at the equa- 
tor was girdled by a torrid zone, separating the hemis- 
pheres by a region of impassive heat; and they had a 
superstitious belief, that whoever doubled Cape Boja- 
dor would never return. 

Prince Henry called in the aid of science to dispel 
these errors. He established a naval college and obser- 
vatory at Sagres, and invited thither the most eminent 
professors of the nautical faculties. . The effects of this 
establishment were soon apparent. A vast impr.ovement 
took place in maps and charts ; the compass was brought 
into more general use ; the Portuguese marine became 
signalized for its hardy enterprises ; Cape Bojador was 
doubled ; the region of the tropics penetrated and divest- 
ed of its fancied terrors ; the greater part of the African 
coast, from Cape Blanco to Cape de Verde, explored, and 
the Cape de Verde and Azore islands discovered. To 
secure the full enjoyment of these territories, Henry ob- 
tained a papal bull, investing the crown of Portugal with 
sovereign authority over all the lands it might discover 
in th« Atlantic, to India inclusive. Henry died on the 
13th of November, 1473, before he had accomplished 
the great object of his ambition ; but he had lived long 
enough to behold, through his means, his native country 
in a grand career of prosperity. He has been well de- 



OF COLUMBUS. 17 

scribed, as ".full of thoughts of lofty enterprise, and acts 
of generous spirit." He bore for his device the mag- 
nanimous motto, " the talent to do good," the only 
talent worthy the ambition of princes. 

The fame of the Portuguese discoveries, drew the at- 
tention of the world ; and the learned, the curious, and 
the adventurous, resorted to Lisbon to engage in the 
enterprises continually fitting out. Among the rest, 
Columbus arrived there about the year 1470. He was at 
that time in the full vigour of manhood, and of an en- 
gaging presence; and here it may not be improper to 
draw his portrait, according to the minute descriptions 
given pf him by his contemporaries. He was tall, well 
formed, and muscular, and of an elevated and dignified 
demeanour. His visage was long, and neither full nor 
meagre ; his complexion fair and freckled, and inclined 
to ruddy ; bis nose aquiline, his cheek bones were rather 
high, his eyes light gray, and apt to enkindle ; his whole 
countenance had an air of authority. His hair, in his 
youthful days, was of a light colour, but care and trouble 
soon turned it gray, and at thirty years of age it was 
quite white. He was moderate and simple in diet and 
apparel, eloquent in discourse, engaging and affable with 
strangers, and of an amiableness and suavity in domestic 
life, that strongly attached his household to his person. 
His temper was naturally irritable ; but he subdued it 
by the magnanimity of his spirit, comporting himself 
with a courteous and gentle gravity, and never indulging 
in any intemperance of language. Throughout his life, 
he was noted for a strict attention to the offices of reli- 
gion ; nor did his piety consist in mere forms, but par- 
took of that lofty and solemn enthusiasm with which his 
whole character was strongly tinctured. 

2* 



18 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

While at Lisbon, he was accustomed to attend religious 
service at the chapel of the Convent of All Saints. Here 
he became acquainted with a lady of rank, named Dona 
Felipa, who resided in the convent. She was the daugh- 
ter of Bartolomeo Monis de Palestrello, an Italian cava- 
lier, lately deceased, who had been one of the most dis- 
tinguished navigators under Prince Henry, and had 
colonized and governed the island of Porto Santo. The 
acquaintance soon ripened into attachment, and ended in 
marriage. It appears to have been a match of mere 
affection, as the lady had little or no fortune. 

The newly married couple resided with the mother of 
the bride. The latter perceiving the interest which her 
son-in-law took in nautical affairs, used to relate to him 
all she knew of the voyages and expeditions 'of her late 
husband, and delivered to him all his charts, journals, and 
other manuscripts. By these means, Columbus became 
acquainted with the routes of the Portuguese, and their 
plans and ideas ; and, having by his marriage and resi- 
dence become naturalized in Portugal, he sailed occa- 
sionally in the expeditions to the coast of Guinea. When 
at home, he supported his family by making maps and 
charts ; and though his means were scanty, he appro- 
priated a part to the education of his yomiger brothers, 
and the succour of his aged father at Genoa. From 
Lisbon he removed for a time to the recently discovered 
island of Porto Santo, where his wife had inherited 
some property, and during his residence there she bore 
him a son, whom he named Diego. His wife's sister w^as 
married to Pedro Correo, a navigator of note, who had 
at one time been governor of Porto Santo. In the fa- 
miliar intercourse of domestic life, their conversation 
frequently turned upon the discoveries of the Atlantic 



OF COLTJMBrS. 19 

islands, and the African coasts, upon the long sought for 
route to India, and upon the possibility of unknown 
lands existing in the west. It was a period of general 
excitement, with all who were connected with maritime 
life, or who resided in the vicinity of the ocean. The 
recent discoveries had inflamed their imaginations, and 
had filled them with ideas of other islands of greater 
wealth and beauty, yet to be discovered in the boundless 
wastes of the Atlantic. The opinions and fancies of the 
ancients were again put into circulation : the island of 
Antilla, and Plato's imaginary Atalantis, once more found 
firm believers; and a thousand rumours were spread of 
unknown islands casually seen in the ocean. Many of 
these were mere fables ; many of them had their origin 
in the self-deception of voyagers, wliose heated fancies 
beheld islands' in those summer clouds which lie along 
the horizon, and often beguile the sailor with the idea of 
distant land. The most singular instance of this kind 
of self-deception, or rather of optical delusion, is that 
recorded of the inhabitants of the Canaries. They 
imagined that from time to time they beheld a vast island 
to the westward, with lofty mountains and deep valleys. 
Nor was it seen in cloudy or dubious weather, but with 
all the distinctness with which distant objects may be 
discerned in the transparent atmosphere of a tropical 
climate. It is true, it was only seen transiently, and at 
long intervals ; while, at other times, and in the clearest 
weather, not a vestige of it was visible; but so per- 
suaded were the people of the Canaries of its reality, 
that they obtained permission from the King of Portugal 
to fit out various expeditions in search of it. The island, 
however, was never to be found, though it still continued 
occasionally to cheat the eye ; many identified it with a 



20 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

legendary island, said to have been discovered in the 
sixth century, by a Scottish priest of the name of St, 
Brandan, and it was actually laid down in many maps of 
the times, by the name of St. Brandan, or St. Borondon. 
All these tales and rumours were noted down with 
curious care by Columbus, and may have had some in- 
fluence over his imagination; but, though of a ^dsionary 
spirit, his penetrating genius sought in deeper sources 
for the aliment of its meditations. The voyages he had 
made to Guinea, and his frequent occupation in making 
maps and charts, had led him more and more to specu- 
late on the great object of geographical enterprise ; but 
while others were slowly and painfully seeking a route 
to India, by following up the coast of Africa, his daring 
genius conceived the bold idea of turning his prow di- 
rectly to the west, and seeking the desired land by a 
route across the Atlantic. Having once conceived this 
idea, it is interesting to notice from what a mass of 
acknowledged facts, rational hypotheses, fanciful narra 
tions, and popular rumours, his grand project of dis- 
covery was wrought out by the strong workings of his 
vigorous mind. 



CHAPTER III. 

Grounds on which Columbus founded his belief of the 
■ existence of undiscovered lands in the west. 

"We have a record of the determination of Columbus 
to seek a western route to India, as early as the year 
1474, in a correspondence which he held with Paulo Tos- 



OF COLUMBUS. 21 

canelli, a learned cosmographer of Florence ; and he 
had doubtless meditated it for a long time previous. 
He was moved to this determination by a diligent study 
of all the geographical theories of the ancients, aided 
by his own experience, by the discoveries of the mo- 
derns, and the advancement of astronomical science. 
He set it down as a fundamental principle, that the earth 
was a terraqueous globe, which might be travelled round 
from east to west, and that men stood foot to foot when 
on opposite points. The circumference from east to 
west, at the equator, he divided, according to Ptolemy, 
into twenty-four hours, of fifteen degrees each, making 
three hundred and sixty degrees. Of these he imagined, 
comparing the globe of Ptolemy with the earlier map 
of Marinus of Tyre, that fifteen hours had been known 
to the ancients, extending from the Canary or Fortunate 
Islands, to the city of Thinae in Asia, the western and 
eastern extremities of the known world. The Portu- 
guese had advanced the western frontier one hour more 
by the discovery of the Azore and Cape de Verde Islands : 
still about eight hours, or one third of the circumference of 
the earth,remained to be explored. This space he imagined 
to be occupied in a great measure by the eastern regions 
of Asia, which might extend so far as to approach the 
western shores of Europe and Africa. A navigator, 
therefore, by pursuing a direct course from east to west, 
must arrive at the extremity of Asia, or discover any in- 
tervening land. The great obstacle to be apprehended, 
was from the tract of ocean that might intervene ; but 
this could not be very wide, if the opinion of Alfraganus 
the Arabian were admitted, who, by diminishing the 
size of the degrees, gave to the earth a smaller circum- 
ference than was assigned to it by other cosmographers; 



23 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

a theory to which Columbus seems, generally, to have, 
given much faith. He was fortified, also, by the opinion 
of Aristotle, Seneca, Pliny, and Strabo, who considered 
the ocean as but of moderate breadth, so that one might 
pass from Cadiz westward to the Indies in a few days. 

Columbus derived great support to his theory, also, 
from a letter which he received in 1474 from Paulo Tos-. 
canelli, the learned Florentine already mentioned, who 
was considered one of the ablest cosmographers of the 
day. This letter was made up from the narrative of 
Marco Polo, a Venetian traveller, who, in the fourteenth 
century, had penetrated the remote parts of Asia, far be- 
yond the regions laid down by Ptolemy. Toscanelli 
encouraged Columbus in an intention which he had com- 
municated to him, of seeking India by a western course, 
assuring him that the distance could not be more than 
four thousand miles in a direct line from Lisbon to the 
province of Mangi, near Cathay, since ascertained to be 
the northern coast of China. Of this comitry a magnificent 
description was given according to Marco Polo, who 
extols the power and grandeur of its sovereign, the Great 
Khan, the splendour and magnitude of his capitals of 
Cambalu, and Quinsai, or Kinsay, and the wonders of 
the island of Cipango, or Ziparigi, supposed to be Japan. 
This island he places opposite Cathay, far in the ocean, 
and represents it as abounding in gold, precious stones, 
and spices, and that the palace of the king was covered 
with plates of gold, as edifices in other countries are 
covered with sheets of lead. 

The work of Marco Polo is deserving of this particu- 
lar mention, from being a key to many of the ideas and 
speculations of Columbus. The territories of the Grand 
Rhan, as described by the Venetian, were the objects of 



OF COLUMBUS. 23 

his diligent search in all his voyages ; and in his cruisings 
among the Antilles, he was continually flattering himself 
with the hopes of arriving at the opulent island of Ci- 
pango, and the shores of Mangi and Cathay. The letter 
of Paulo Toscanelli was accompanied by a map, project- 
ed partly according to Ptolemy, and partly according to 
the descriptions of Marco Polo. The eastern coast of 
Asia was depicted in front of the coasts of Africa and 
Europe, with a moderate space of ocean between them, 
in which were placed, at convenient distances, Cipango, 
Antilla, and the other islands. By this conjectural map 
Columbus governed himself in his first voyage. 

Beside 'these learned authorities, Columbus was at- 
tentive to every gleam of information bearing upon his 
theory, that might be derived from veteran mariners, 
and the inhabitants of the lately discovered islands, who 
were placed, in a manner, on the frontier posts of geo- 
graphical knowledge. One Antonio Leone, an inhabi- 
tant of Madeira, told him, that in sailing westward one 
hundred leagues, he had seen three islands at a distance. 
A mariner of Port St. Mary, also, asserted, that in the 
course of a voyage to Ireland, he had seen land to the 
west, which the ship's company took for some extreme 
part of Tartary. One Martin Vicenti, a pilot in the 
service of the king of Portugal, assured Columbus that, 
after sailing four hundred and fifty leagues to the west 
of Cape St. Vincent, he had taken from the water a piece 
of carved wood, evidently not laboured with an iron 
instrument. As the wind had drifted it from the west, it 
might have come from some unknown land in that di- 
rection. 

Pedro Correo, brother-in-law of Columbus, also in- 
formed him, that he had seen a similar piece of wood. 



rcj3.,' . 




f^y:>''' 


'^ ^X 






\;^f 





S4 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

on the island of Porto SAnto, which had drifted from 
the same quarter, and he had heard from the king of 
f*ortugal that reeds of an immense size had floated to 
those islands from the west, which Columbus supposed 
to be the kind of reeds of enormous magnitude described 
by Ptolemy as growing in India. Trunks of huge pine 
trees, of a kind that did not grow upon any of the islands, 
liad been wafted to the Azores by westerly winds. The 
inhabitants also informed him that the bodies of two 
dead men had been cast upon the island of Flores, whose 
features had caused great wonder and speculation, being 
different from those of any known race of people. 

Such are the principal grounds on which, according to 
Fernando Columbus, his father proceeded from one po- 
sition to another of his theory. It is evident, however, 
that the grand argument which induced him to his en- 
terprise, was the one first cited ; namely, that the most 
eastern part of Asia known to the ancients could not be 
separated from the Azores by more than a third of the 
circumference of the globe ; that the intervening space 
must, in a great measure, be filled up by the unknown re- 
sidue of Asia; and that, as the circumference of the world 
was less than was generally supposed, the Asiatic shores 
could easily be attained by a moderate voyage to the 
west. It is singular how much the success of this great 
enterprise depended upon two happy errors, the ima- 
ginary extent of Asia to the east, and the supposed 
smallness of the earth ; both errors of the most learned 
and profound philosophers, but without which Columbus 
would hardly have ventured into the western regions of 
the Atlantic, in whose unknown and perhaps immeasu- 
rable waste of waters, he might perish before he could 
reach a shore. 



OF COLUMBUS. 25 

When Columbus had once formed his theory, it be- 
came fixed in his mind with singular firmness. He never 
spoke in doubt or hesitation, but with as much certaility 
as if his eyes had beheld the promised land. A deep 
religious sentiment mingled with his thoughts, and gave 
them at times a tinge of superstition, but of a sublime 
and lofty kind. He looked upon himself as standing in 
the hand of heaven, chosen from among men for the ac- 
complishment of its high purpose ; he read, as he sup- 
posed, his contemplated discovery foretold in Holy Writ, 
and shadowed forth darkly in the prophecies. The ends 
of the earth were to be brought together, and all nations, 
and tongues, and languages, united under the banners of 
the Redeemer. 

The enthusiastic nature of his conceptions gave an 
elevation to his spirit, and a dignity and loftiness to his 
whole demeanour. He conferred with sovereigns al- 
most with a feeling of equality. His proposed discovery 
was of e^npires ; his conditions were proportionally mag- 
nificent, nor would he ever, even after long delays, re- 
peated disappointments, and when under the pressure 
of actual penury, abate what appeared to others extrava- 
gant demands. Those who could not conceive how an 
ardent and comprehensive mind could arrive by presump- 
tive evidence at so firm a conviction, sought for other 
modes of accounting for it ; and gave countenance to an 
idle tale of his having received previous information of 
the western world, from a tempest tost pilot, who had died 
in his house, bequeathing him written accounts of an un- 
known land in the west, upon which he had been driven 
by adverse winds. This, and other attempts to cast a 
shade upon his fame, have been diligently examined and 
refuted ; and it appears evident that his great enterprise 
3 



26 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

was the bold conception of his genius, quickened by the 
impulse of the age, and aided by those scattered gleams 
of knowledge, which fall ineffectually upon ordinary 
minds. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Events in Portugal relative to discovery. Propositions 
of Columbus to the Portuguese court. 

While the design of attempting the discovery in the 
West was maturing in the mind of Columbus, he made a 
voyage to the northern seas, to the island of Thule, to 
which the English navigators, particularly those of Bris 
tol, were accustomed to resort on account of its fishery. 
He even advanced, he says, one hundred leagues beyond, 
penetrated the polar circle, and convinced himself of the 
fallacy of the popular belief, that the frozen zone was 
uninhabitable. The island thus mentioned by him as 
Thule is generally supposed to have been Iceland, which 
is far to the west of the Ultima Thule of the ancients, as 
laid down on the map of Ptolemy. Nothing more is 
known of this voyage, in which we discern indications 
of that ardent and impatient desire to break away from 
the limits of the old world, and launch into the unknown 
regions of the ocean. 

Several years elapsed without any decided effort on 
the part of Columbus to carry his design into execution. 
An enterprise of the kind required the patronage of some 
sovereign power, which could furnish the necessary 
means, could assume dominion over the lands to be dis- 



OF COLUMBUS. 2? 

covered, and could ensure suitable rewards and dignities 
to the discoverer. 

The cause of discovery had languished during the 
latter part of the reign of Alphonso of Portugal, who 
was too much engrossed with his wars with Spain, to 
engage in peaceful enterprises, of great cost and doubtful 
result. Navigation also was still too imperfect for so 
perilous an undertaking as that proposed by Columbus. 
Discovery advanced slowly along the coasts of Africa ; 
and, though the compass had been introduced into more 
general use, yet mariners rarely ventured far out of sight 
of land ; they even feared to cruise far into the southern 
hemisphere, with the stars of which they were totally 
unacquainted. To such men, therefore, the project of a 
voyage directly westward, in quest of some imagined 
land in the boundless wastes of the ocean, appeared as 
extravagant, as it would at the present day to launch forth 
in a balloon into the regions of space, in quest of some 
distant star. 

The time, however, was at hand, that was to extend 
the power of navigation. The era was propitious to the 
quick advancement of knowledge. The recent inven- 
tion of printing, enabled men to communicate rapidly 
and extensively their ideas and discoveries. It multi- 
plied and spread abrbad,^ and placed in every hand, those 
volumes of information, which had hitherto existed only 
in costly manuscripts, treasured up in the libraries of 
colleges and convents. At this juncture, John II. as- 
cended the throne of Portugal. He had imbibed the 
passion for discovery from his grand uncle, Prince 
Henry, and with his reign all its activity revived. The 
recent attempts to discover a route to India, had excited 
an eager curiosity concerning the remote parts of the 



28 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

east, and had revived all the accounts, true and fabulous, 
of travellers. Among these, were the tales told of the 
renowned Prester John, a Christian king, said to hold 
sway in a remote part of the east, but whose kingdom 
seemed to baffle research as effectually as the unsubstan- 
tial island of St. Brandan. All the fables and dreamy 
speculations, concerning this shadowy potentate, and his 
oriental realm, were again put in circulation. It was 
fancied that traces of his empire had been discerned 
in the interior of Africa, to the east of Benin, where 
there was a powerful prince, who used a cross among 
the insignia of royalty; and, John II. in the early part 
of his reign, actually sent missions in quest of the 
visionary Prester John. 

Impatient of the tardiness with which his discoveries 
advanced along the coast of Africa, and eager to realize 
the splendid project of Prince Henry, and conduct the 
Portuguese flag into the Indian seas, John II. called 
upon his men of science, to devise some means of giving 
greater scope and certainty to navigation. His two phy- 
sicians, Roderigo and Joseph, the latter a Jev/, who were 
the most able astronomers and cosmographers of his 
kingdom, together ^vith the celebrated Margin Behem, 
entered into a consultation on the subject; and the result 
of their conferences was, the application of the astrolabe 
to navigation. This instrument has since been improved 
and modified into the modern quadrant, of which, even 
at its first introduction, it possessed all the essential ad- 
vantages. This invention w^as one of those timely oc- 
currences Avhick seem to have something providential in 
them. It was the one thing wanting to facilitate an in- 
tercourse across the deep, and to cast navigation loose 
from its long bondage to the land. Science had tlius 



OF COLUMBUS. 29 

prepared guides for discovery across the trackless ocean, 
and had divested the enterprise of Columbus of that ex- 
tremely hazardous character, which had been so great an 
obstacle to its accomplishment. It was immediately 
after this event that he solicited an audience of the king 
of Portugal, to lay before him his great project of disco- 
very. This is the first proposition of which we have 
any clear and indisputable record, although it has been 
strongly asserted, and with probability, that he had made 
one at an earlier period, to his native country, Genoa. 

Columbus obtained a ready audience of King John, 
who was extremely liberal in encouraging and reward- 
ing nautical enterprise. He explained to the monarch 
his theory, and proposed, in case the king would furnish 
him with ships and men, to conduct them by a shorter 
route to the richest countries of the east, to touch at 
the opulent island of Cipango, and to establish a com- 
munication with the territories of the Grand Khan, the 
most splendid, powerful, and wealthy of oriental po~ 
tentates. 

King John listened attentively to the proposition of 
Columbus, and referred it to a learned junto, composed 
of Masters Roderigo and Joseph, and the king's confes- 
sor, Diego Ortiz, bishop of Ceuta, a man greatly reputed 
for his learning, a Castilian by birth, and generally called 
Cazadilla, from the name of his birth-place. This 
scientific body treated the project as extravagant and 
visionary. Still the king was not satisfied, but convoked 
his council, composed of persons of the greatest learning 
in the kingdom, and asked their adAdce. In this assem- 
bly, Cazadilla, the bishop of Ceuta, opposed the theory 
of Columbus, as destitute of reason, and indeed evinced 
a cold and narrow spirit, hostile to all discovery. The 
3* 



30 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

decision of the council was equally unfavourable with that 
of the junto, and the proposition of Columbus was 
rejected. 

Certain of the councillors, and particularly the Bishop 
Cazadilla, seeing that the king was dissatisfied with their 
decision, and retained a lurking inclination for the enter- 
prise, suggested a stratagem by which all its advantages 
might be secured, without committing the dignity of the 
crown by entering into formal negociations about a 
scheme, which might prove a mere chimera. The king, 
in an evil hour, departed from his usual justice and 
generosity, and had the weakness to permit their strata- 
gem. These crafty councillors then procured from Co- 
lumbus, as if to assist them in their deliberations, a de- 
tailed plan of his proposed voyage, with the charts by 
which he intended to shape his course. While they 
held him in suspense, awaiting their decision, they 
privately dispatched a caraval to pursue the designated 
route. 

The caravel took its departure from the Cape de Verde 
Islands, and stood westward for several days. The wea- 
ther grew stormy, and the pilots having no zeal to sti- 
mulate them, and seeing nothing but an immeasiirable 
waste of wild tumbling waves, still extending before them, 
lost all courage, and put back to the Cape dc Verde Is 
lands, and thence to Lisbon, excusing their own want of 
resolution, by ridiculing the project as extravagant and 
irrational. 

This unworthy attempt to defraud him of his enter- 
prise roused the indignation of Columbus, and, though 
King John, it is said, shewed a disposition to renew the 
negociation, he resolutely declined. His wife had been 
for some time dead ; the domestic tie which had bound 



OF COLUMBUS. 31 

him to Portugal, therefore, being broken, he determined to 
abandon a country where he had been treated with so 
little faith. Like most projectors, while engaged in 
schemes which held out promise of incalculable wealth, 
he had suffered his affairs to run to ruin, and was in dan- 
ger of being arrested for debt. This has been given as 
the reason for his leaving Portugal in a secret manner, 
which he did towards the end of 1484, taking with him 
his son Diego, as yet a mere child. 

An interval now occurs of about a year, during which 
the movements of Columbus are involved in uncertainty. 
It has been asserted by a modern Spanish historian of 
merit, that he departed immediately for Genoa, where 
he repeated in person the proposition which he had for- 
merly made to the government by letter. The republic 
of Genoa, however, was languishing under a long decline, 
and was embarrassed by ruinous wars. Her spirit was 
broken with her fortunes ; for with nations, as with indi- 
viduals, enterprise is the child of prosperity, and is apt 
to languish in evil days, when there is most need of 
its exertion. Thus, Genoa, it would appear, disheartened 
by reverses, rejected a proposition which would have 
elevated the republic to tenfold splendour, and might 
for a long time have perpetuated the golden wand of 
commerc-e in the failing grasp of Italy. 

From Genoa, it has been said, but equally without 
positive proof, that Columbus carried his proposal to 
Venice, but that it was declined in consequence of the 
critical state of national affairs. Different authors agree, 
that about this time he visited his aged father, and made 
such arrangements for his comfort as his own poor means 
afforded, and that having thus performed the duties of a 
pious son, he departed once more to try his fortmies in 



33 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

foreign courts. About this time also he engaged his 
brother Bartholomew to sail for England, to lay his pro- 
positions before Henry VII., whom he had heard extolled 
for his wisdom and munificence. For himself, he sailed 
for Spain, where he appears to have arrived in great po- 
verty, for this course of fruitless solicitation had ex- 
hausted all his means ; nor is it one of the least extraor- 
dinary circumstances in his eventful life, that he had, in a 
manner, to beg his way from court to court, to offer to 
princes the discovery of a world. 



CHAPTER V. 

First arrival of Columbus in Spain. Characters of the 
Spanish Sovereigns. 

The first trace we have of Columbus in Spain, is 
gathered from the manuscript documents of the cele- 
brated law suit, which took place a few years after his 
death, between his son Don Diego and the crown. It is 
contained in the deposition of one Garcia Fernandez, a 
physician, resident in the little sea port of Palos de 
Moguer, in Andalusia. About half a league from Palos, 
on a solitary height overlooking the sea coast, and sur- 
rounded by a forest of pine trees, there stood, and stands 
at the present day, an ancient convent of Franciscan 
friars, dedicated to Santa Maria de Rabida. A stranger 
travelling on foot, accompanied by a young boy, stopped 
one day at the gate of the convent, and asked of the 
porter a little bread and water for his child. While re- 
ceiving this humble refreshment, the guardian of the con- 



OF COLUMBUS. 33 

vent, Friar Juan Perez de Marchena, happening to pass 
by,'was struck with the appearance of the stranger, and, 
observing from his air and accent that he wasa foreigner, 
entered into conversation with him. That stranger was 
Columbus, accompanied by his young son Diego. He 
was on his way to the neighbouring town of Huelva, to 
seek a brother-in-law, who had married a sister of his 
deceased wife. 

The guardian was an intelligent man, and acquainted 
with geographical and nautical science. He was interest- 
ed by the conversation of Columbus, and struck with the 
grandeur Of his plans. He detained him as his guest, and 
being diffident of his own judgment, sent for a scientific 
friend to converse with him. That friend was Garcia 
Fernandez, the physician of Palos, the same who fur- 
nishes this interesting testimony ; and who became 
equally convinced with the friar of the correctness of 
the theory of Columbus. Several veteran pilots and 
mariners of Palos, also, were consulted during the con- 
ferences at the convent, who stated various facts ob- 
served in the course of their experience, which seemed 
to corroborate the idea of western lands in the Atlantic. 
But the conviction of the friar was still more confirmed, 
by the hearty concurrence of an important personage in 
that maritime neighbourhood, one Martin Alonzo Pin- 
zori, resident of the town of Palos, one of the most intel- 
ligent sea captains of the day, and the head of a family of 
wealthy and distinguished navigators. Pinzon not only 
gave the project of Columbus his decided approbation, 
but offered to engage in it with purse and person. 

Fray Juan Perez being now fully persuaded of the im- 
portance of the proposed enterprise, advised Columbus 
to repair to court, and make his propositions to the 



34 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Spanish sovereigns, offering to give him a letter of re- 
commendation to his friend, Fernando de Talavera, 
prior of the convent of Prado, and confessor to the 
queen, and a man of great political influence, through 
whose means he would, no doubt, immediately obtain 
royal audience and favour. Martin Alonzo Pinzon, also, 
generously offered to furnish him with money for the 
journey, and the friar took charge of his youthful son, 
Diego, to maintain and educate him in the convent. 
Thus aided and encouraged, and elated with fresh hopes, 
Columbus took leave of the little junto at La Rabida, and 
set out, in the spring of 1486, for the Castilian court, 
which had just assembled at Cordova, where the sove- 
reigns were fully occupied with their chivalrous enter- 
prise for the conquest of Granada. And here it is proper 
to give a brief description of these princes, who per- 
formed such an important part in the events of this 
history. 

It has been well observed of Ferdinand and Isabella, 
that they lived together, not like man and wife, whose 
estates are in common, under the orders of the husband, 
but like two monarchs, strictly allied. They had sepa- 
rate claims to sovereignty, in virtue of their separate 
kingdoms, and held separate councils. Yet they were so 
happily united by common views, common interests, and 
a great deference for each other, that this double adminis- 
tration never pcevented a unity of purpose and action. 
All acts of sovereignty were executed in both their 
names ; all public writings subscribed with both their 
signatures ; their likenesses were stamped together on 
the public coin ; and the royal seal displayed the united 
arms of Castile and Arragon. 

Ferdinand possessed a clear and comprehensive genius, 



OF COLUMBUS. 35 

and great penetration. He was equable in temper, inde- 
fatigable in business, a great observer of men, and is ex- 
tolled by Spanish writers as unparalleled in the science 
of the cabinet. It has been maintained by writers of 
other nations, however, and apparently with reason, that 
he was bigoted in religion, and craving rather than mag- 
nanimous in his ambition ; that he made war less like a 
paladin than a prince, less for glory than for mere do- 
minion ; and that his policy was cold, selfish, and artful. 
He was called the wise and prudent in Spain ; in Italy, 
the pious ; in France and England, the ambitious and 
perfidious. 

Contemporary writers have been enthusiastic in their 
descriptions of Isabella, but time has sanctioned their 
eulogies. She was of the middle size, and well formed ; 
with a fair complexion, auburn hair, and clear blue eyes. 
There was a mingled gravity and sweetness in her coun- 
tenance, and a singi'ilar modesty, gracing, as it did, 
great firmness of purpose and earnestness of spirit. 
Though strongly attached to her husband, and studious 
of his fame, yet she always maintained her distinct rights 
as an allied prince. She exceeded him in beauty, per- 
sonal dignity, acuteness of genius, and grandeur of soul. 
Combining the active and resolute qualities of man, with 
the softer charities of woman, she mingled in the warlike 
councils of her husband, and, being inspired with a truer 
idea of glory, infused a more lofty and generous temper 
into his subtle and calculating policy. 

It is in the civil history of their reign, however, that 
the character of Isabella shines most illustrious. Her 
fostering and maternal care was continually directed to 
reform the laws, and heal the ills engendered by a long 
course of civil wars. She assembled round her the 



36 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

ablest men in literature and science, and directed herself 
by their councils in encouraging literature and the arts. 
She promoted the distribution of honours and rewards 
for the promulgation of knowledge, fostered the recently- 
invented art of printing, and through her patronage Sala- 
manca rose to that eminence which it assumed among the 
learned institutions of the age. Such was the noble 
woman who was destined to acquire immortal renown 
by her spirited patronage of the discovery of the new 
world. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Propositions of Columbus to the court of Castile. 

When Columbus arrived at Cordova, he found it in all 
the bustle of military preparation. The two rival Moor- 
ish kings of Granada had formed a coalition, and the Cas- 
tilian sovereigns had summoned all their chivalry to as- 
semble for a grand campaign. Every day witnessed the 
arrival of some Spanish noble, with a splendid retinue, 
and a brilliant array of household troops. The court 
was like a military camp ; every avenue was crowded 
by warlike grandees and hardy cavaliers, who had dis- 
tinguished themselves in this Moorish war. This was an 
unpropitious moment for an application like that of Co- 
lumbus, Every body was engrossed by the opening 
campaign. Even Fernando de Talavera, who was to 
have been his great patron and protector, and his organ 
of communication with the sovereigns, was completely 
taken up with military concerns, being one of the clerical 



OF COLUMBUS. • 37 

advisers, who surrounded the queen in this, as it was 
termed, holy war. The letter of recommendation from 
the worthy Fray Juan Perez, which was to have se- 
cured the powerful influence of Talavera, seems to have 
had but little eflfec.t upon the prior, who listened coldly to 
Columbus, and looked upon his plan as extravagant and 
impossible. ' . . 

So far, therefore, from receiving immediate patronage 
from the sovereigns, Columbus found it impossible to 
obtain even a hearing. It is a question even, whether, 
for some time, his application reached their ears. If 
Fernando de Talavera did mention it to them, it must 
have been in disparaging terms, such as rather to destroy 
than excite interest in its favour. The campaign opened 
almost immediately ; the king took the field in person ; 
the queen was fully occupied by the hurrying concerns 
of the war, and was part of the time present in the camp ; 
it would have been in vain, therefore, at such a moment, 
to expect attention to a scheme of foreign discovery, 
founded on principles which required calm and learned 
investigation. 

During the summer and autumn of 1486, Columbus 
remained at Cordova, waiting for a more favourable op- 
portunity to urge his suit ; and trusting to time and 
assiduity to gain him converts among the inteUigent and 
powerful. He was in indigent circumstances, and earned 
a scanty support by making maps and charts. He had 
to contend also against the ridicule of the Hght and the 
supercilious, M^hich is one of the greatest obstacles to 
modest merit in a court. Some scoffed at him as a mere 
dreamer, others stigmatized him as an adventurer ; the 
very children, it is said, pointed to their foreheads as 
he passed, being taught to consider him a kind of mad 

4 



do THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

man. Indeed, the slender interest On which he had found- 
ed his hopes of royal patronage, and the humble garb in 
which his poverty obliged him to appear, formed a pre- 
posterous contrast in the eyes of the courtiers, with the 
magnificence of his speculations. "Because he was a' 
foreigner," says Oviedo, " and went but in simple ap- 
parel, nor otherwise credited than by the letter of a 
gray friar, they believed him not, neither gave ear to his 
words, whereby he was greatly tormented in his imagi- 
nation." 

While thus lingering in Cordova, he became attached 
to Dona Beatrix Enriquez, a lady of that city, of a noble 
family. Like most of the circumstances of this part of 
his life, his connexion with this lady is wrapped in ob- 
scurity, but appears never to have been sanctioned by 
marriage. She was the mother of his second son Fer- 
nando, who became his historian, and whom he always 
treated on terms of perfect equality with his legitimate 
son Diego. 

By degrees the theory of Columbus began to obtain 
proselytes. The attention of men of reflection was 
drawn to this solitary individual, who, almost unsupport- 
ed, was endeavouring to make his way, with so singular 
a proposition, to the foot of the throne. Whoever con- 
versed with him, was struck by the dignity of his 
manners, the earnest sincerity of his discourse, and the 
force of his reasoning. Alonzo de Quintanilla, comptrol- 
ler of the finances of Castile, became a warm advocate 
of his theory, and received him as a guest into his house. 
He was countenanced also by Antonio Geraldini, the 
pope's nuncio, and his brother, Alexander Geraldini, 
preceptor to the younger children of Ferdinand and 
Isabella. By these friends he was introduced to the 



OF COLUMBUS. 3U 

celebrated Pedro Gonzalez de Mendoza, archbishop of 
Toledo, and grand cardinal of Spain. This was the 
most important personage about the court ; he was al- 
ways with the king and queen, who never took any 
measure of consequence without consulting him, and 
was facetiously called the third king of Spain. He was 
an elegant scholar, a man of sound understanding, and 
of great quickness and capacity in business. The clear- 
headed cardinal was pleased with the noble and earnest 
manner of Columbus ; he listened to him with profound 
attention, felt the importance of his project and the force 
of his arguments, and became at once a firm and ser- 
viceable friend. Through his intercession the royal 
audience was at length obtained. • 

Columbus appeared in the presence of the king with 
modesty, yet self-possession, inspired by a consciousness 
of the dignity and importance of his errand ; for he felt 
himself, as he afterwards declared in his letters, animated 
as if by a sacred fire from above, and considered himself 
an instrument in the hand of heaven to accomplish its 
grand designs. Ferdinand was too keen a judge of men 
not to appreciate the character of Columbus. He per- 
ceived, also, that his scheme had scientific and practical 
foundations ; and his ambition was excited by the pos- 
sibility of discoveries far exceeding in importance those 
which had shed such glory upon Portugal. Still, as 
usual, he was cool and wary. He ordered Fernando de 
Talavera, the prior of Prado, to assemble the most learn- 
ed astronomers and cosmographers of the kingdom, to 
hold a conference with Columbus. They were to examine 
him upon the grounds of his theory, and Afterwards to 
consult together, and report their opinion as to its merits. 
Columbus now considered the day of success at hand ; he 



40 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

'had been deceived by courtiers, and scoffed at as a vision- 
ary by the vulgar and the ignorant ; but he was now to 
appear before a body of the most learned and enlightened 
men, elevated, as he supposed, above all narrow preju 
dice and selfish interest, and capable of comprehending 
the full scope of his reasonings. From the dispassion 
ate examination of such a body of sages, he could not 
but anticipate the most triumphant verdict. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Columbus before the council at Salamanca. 

The interesting conference took place at Salamanca, 
the great seat of learning in Spain. It was held in the 
dominican convent of St. Stephen, the most scientific 
college in the university, in which Columbus .was lodged 
and entertained with great hospitality during the course 
of the examination. The board of conference was com- 
posed of professors of the university, together with vari- 
ous dignitaries of the church, and learned friars. No tri- 
bunal could bear a front of more imposing wisdom ; yet 
Columbus soon discovered that ignorance and illiberality 
may sometimes lurk under the very robes of science. 

The greater part of this learned junto, it would ap- 
pear, came prepossessed against him, as men in place and 
dignity are apt to be against poor applicants. There is 
always a proneness to consider a man under examination 
as a kind of delinquent, or impostor, upon trial, who is 
to be detected and exposed. Columbus too, appeared in 
a most unfavourable light before a scholastic body ; an 



OF COLUMBUS. 41 

obscure navigator, member of no learned institution, des- 
titute of all the trappings and circumstances which some- 
times give oracular authority to dulness, and depending 
upon the mere force of natural genius. Some of the as- 
sembly entertained the popular notion, that he was an 
adventurer, or, at best,. a visionary ; and others had that 
morbid impatience of any innovation upon established 
doctrine, which is apt to grow upon dull and pedantic 
men in cloistered life. The hall of the old convent pre- 
sented a striking spectacle. A simple mariner standing 
forth in the midst of an imposing array of clerical and 
collegiate sages ; maintaining his theory with natural 
eloquence, and, as it were, pleading the cause of the new 
world. We are told, that when he began to state the 
grounds of his theory, the friars of St. Stephen alone 
paid attention to him. The others appeared to have en- 
trenched themselves behind one dogged position, name- 
ly, that, after so many profound philosophers had occu- 
pied themselves in geographical investigations, and so 
many able navigators had been voyaging about the world 
for ages, it was a great presumption in an ordinary man, 
to suppose that there remained such a vast discovery 
for him to make. 

Several of the objections opposed by this learned body 
have been handed down to us, and have provoked many 
a sneer at the expense of the university of Salamanca ; 
but they are proofs rather of the imperfect state of science 
at the time, and of the manner in which knowledge, 
though rapidly advancing, was still impeded in its pro- 
gress by monastic bigotry. Thus, at the very threshold 
of the discussion, Columbus was assailed with citations 
from the Bible, and the works of the early fathers of the 
church, w^hich were thought incompatible with his theo- 

4* 



42 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

ry : doctrinal points were mixed up with philosophical 
discussions, and even a mathematical demonstration w^as 
allowed no truth, if it appeared to clash with a text of 
scripture, or a commentary of one of the fathers. Thus 
the possibility of the existence of antipodes in the south- 
ern hemisphere, though maintained by the wisest of the 
ancients, was disputed by some of the sages of Salaman- 
ca, on the authority of Lactantius and St. Augustine, 
those two great luminaries of what has been called the 
golden age of ecclesiastical learning. " Is there any one 
so foolish," asks Lactantius, " as to believe that there are 
antipodes with their feet opposite to ours ; people who 
walk with their heels upward and their heads hanging 
down? That there is a part of the world in which all 
things are topsy-turvy ; where the trees grow with their 
branches doAvnward, and where it rains, hails, and snows 
upwards ? The idea of the roundness of the earth," he 
adds, " was the cause of inventing this fable ; for these 
philosophers having once erred, go on in their absurdi- 
ties, defending one with another." 

Objections of a graver nature, and more dignified tone, 
were advanced on the authority of St. Augustine. He 
pronounces the doctrine of antipodes incompatible with 
the historical foundations of our faith ; since, to assert 
that there were inhabited lands on the opposite side of 
the globe, would be to maintain that there were nations 
not descended from Adam, it being impossible for them 
to have passed the intervening ocean. This would be, 
therefore, to discredit the Bible, which expressly declares, 
that all men are descended from one common parent. 

Such were the unlooked for prejudices which Colum- 
bus had to encounter, at the very outset of his conference, 
and which certainly savour more of the convent than the 



OF COLUMBUS. 43 

university. To his simplest proposition, the spherical 
form of the earth, were opposed figurative texts of 
scripture. In the psalms, the heavens are said to be 
extended over the earth like a hide, that is to say, like 
the covering of a tent, which, among the ancient pastoral 
nations, was formed of the hides of animals; St. Paul also, 
in his epistle ^,o the Hebrews, compares the heavens to a 
tabernacle or tent spread over the earth ; hence these 
casuists maintained that the earth must be flat, like the 
bottom of the tent. Others admitted the globular form 
of the earth, and the possibility of an opposite and in- 
habitable hemisphere, but maintained that it would be 
impossible to arrive there in consequence of the heat of 
the torrid zone. As for steering to the west in search 
of India, they observed that the circumference of the 
earth must be so great as to require at least three years 
to the voyage, and those who should undertake it must 
perish of hunger and thirst, from the impossibility of 
carrying provisions for so long a period. Not the least 
absurd objection advanced, was, that should a ship even 
succeed in reaching the extremity of India, she could 
never get back again, for the rotundity of the globe 
would present a kind of mountain, up which it would be 
impossible for her to sail with the most favourable wind. 
Such are specimens of the£rrors and prejudices, the 
mingled error and erudition, with which Columbus had 
to contend, throughout the examination of his theory. 
Many of these objections, however, which appear so 
glaringly absurd at the present day, were incident to the 
imperfect state of knowledge of the time. The rotun- 
dity of the earth was as yet a matter of mere specula- 
tion : no one could tell whether the ocean were not of 
too vast extent to be traversed ; nor were the laws of 



44 THE LitE AND VOYAGES 

specific gravity, and of central gravitation, ascertained, 
by which, granting the earth to be a sphere, the possi- 
bility of making the tour of it would be manifest. 

When Columbus took his stand before this learned 
body, he had appeared the plain and simple navigator, 
somewhat daunted, perhaps, by the greatness of his task, 
and the august nature of his auditory ; but he had a de- 
gree of religious feeling, which gave him a confidence 
in the execution of what he conceived his great errand, 
and he was of an ardent temperament, that became 
heated in action by its own generous fires. All the ob- 
jections drawn from ancient philosophers, he met boldly 
and upon equal terms, for he was deeply studied on all 
points of cosmography, and he disproved many by his 
own experience, gathered in the course of his extensive 
voyages, in which he had penetrated both the torrid and 
the frozen zone. Nor was he to be daunted by the scrip- 
tural difficulties opposed to him, for here he was pecu- 
liarly at home. His contemporaries have spoken of his 
commanding person,, his elevated demeanour, his air of 
authority, his kindling eye, an^^ the persuasive intona- 
tions of his voice. How must they have given majesty 
and force to his words, as, casting aside his maps and 
charts, and discarding, for a time, his practical and 
scientific lore, his visionary spirit took fire, and he met 
his doctrinal opponents upon -their own ground, pouring 
forth those magnificent texts of scripture, and those mys- 
terious predictions of the prophets, which, in his en- 
thusiastic moments, he considered as types and annun- 
ciations of the sublime discovery which he proposed ! 

It is but justice to add, that many of his learned hearers 
were convinced by his reasoning, and warmed by his elo- 
q^uence ; among the number of these was Diego de Deza, 



OF COLUMBUS. 45 

a worthy friar of the order of St. Dominic, at that time 
professor of theology in the convent of St. Stephen, but 
who became afterwards archbishop of Seville, the second 
ecclesiastical dignity of Spain. He was an able and 
erudite man, above the narrow bigotry of bookish lore, 
and could appreciate the value of wisdom, even when 
uttered by unlearned lips. He seconded Columbus with 
all his powers and influence, and by their united efforts, 
they brought over several of the most intelligent men 
of the assembly. Still there was a preponderating mass 
of inert bigotry, and learned pride, in the erudite body, 
which refused to yield to the demonstrations of an ob- 
scure foreigner, without fortune or connexions, or any 
academic honours. After this celebrated examination of 
Columbus, the board held occasional conferences, but 
without. coming to any decision ; Fernando de Talavera, 
to whom the matter was especially intrusted, had too 
little esteem for it, and was too much occupied by the 
stir and bustle of public concerns, to press it to a conclu- 
eion ; his departure with the court from Cordova, early 
in the spring of 1487, put an end to the consultations, and 
left Columbus in a state of the most tantalizing suspense. 
For several years he followed the movements of the 
court, continually flattered with hopes of success. Con- 
ferences were appointed at various places, but the tem- 
pest of warlike afliairs, Avhich hurried the court from 
place to place, and gave it the bustle and confusion of 
a camp, continually swept away all matters of less im- 
mediate importance. It has generally been supposed 
that these years of irksome solicitation, were spent by 
Columbus in the drowsy attendance of antichambers ; 
but, on the contrary, they were passed amidst scenes of 
peril and adventure, and in following the court, he was 



46 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

led into some of the most striking situations of this 
wild, rugged, and mountainous war. In one of the se- 
verest campaigns, he is said to have distinguished himself 
by his personal prowess. He was present at the sieges 
and surrenders of Malaga and Baza, and beheld El Zagal, 
the elder of the two rival kings of Granada, yield up 
his crown and possessions to the Spanish sovereigns. 
During the siege of Baza, two reverend friars guardians 
of the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem, arrived in the Span- 
ish camp, bearing a menace from the Grand Soldan of 
Egypt, that he would put to death all the Christians in 
his dominions, and destroy the sepulchre, if the sove- 
reigns did not desist from the war against the Moslems 
of Granada. It is probable that the pious indignation 
excited by this threat in the bosom of Columbus, gave 
the first rise to a resolution which he entertained to the 
day of his death ; this was, to devote the profits which 
he anticipated from his discdveries, to a crusade for the 
rescue of the holy sepulchre. 

During this long course of application, Columbus 
partly defrayed his expenses by making maps and charts. 
He was occasionally assisted also, by the purse of the 
worthy Friar Diego de Deza, and was sometimes a guest 
of Alonzo de Quintanilla. It is due to the sovereigns to 
say, also, that he was attached to the royal suite, and sums 
issued to defray his expenses, and lodgings provided for 
him, when summoned to follow this rambling and war- 
like court. Whenever the sovereigns had an interval 
oY leisure, there seems to have been a disposition to at- 
tend to his proposition ; but the hurry and tempest of the 
war returned, and the question was again swept awayl 

At length, in the winter of 1491, when the sovereigns 
were preparing to depart on their final campaign in the 



OF COLUMBUS. 47 

vega of Granada, Columbus, losing all patience, pressed 
foy a decisive reply, and Fernando de Talavera was 
ordered, therefore, to hold a final conference, and to re- 
port the decision of his learned brethren. He obeyed, 
and informed their majesties that the majority of the junto 
condemned the scheme as vain and impossible, and con- 
sidered it unbecoming such great princes to engage in an 
undertaking of the kind, on such weak grounds as had 
been advanced. 

A degree of consideration, however, had gradually 
grown up at court for the enterprise, and notwithstand- 
ing this unfavourable report, the sovereigns were unwil- 
ling to* close the door on a project which might be of 
such important advantages. They informed Columbus, 
therefore, that the great cares and expenses of the war 
rendered it impossible for them to engage in any new 
enterprises for the present; but that, when the war should 
be concluded, they would have leisure and inclination to 
treat with him concerning his propositions. 

This was but a starved reply to receive after so many 
years of weary attendance : Columbus considered it a 
mere evasion of the sovereigns to relieve themselves 
from his importunity, and giving up all hope of counte- 
nance from the throne, he turned his back upon Seville, 
filled with disappointment and indignation. 



48 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 



CHAPTER VIIL 

Columbus seeks patronage amongst the Spanish Gran- 
dees. Returns to the Convent of La Rahida. Re- 
sumes his negociations with the Sovereigns. [1491.] 

Columbus now looked round in search of some other 
source of patronage. He had received favourable letters 
both from the kings of England and of France ; the king 
of Portugal, also, had invited him to return to his court ; 
but he appears to have become attached to Spain, pro- 
bably from its being the residence of Beatrix Enriquez, 
and his children. He sought, therefore, to engage the 
patronage of some one of those powerful Spanish 
grandees, who had vast possessions, exercised feudal 
rights, and were petty sovereigns in their domains. 
Among these, were the dukes of Medina Sidonia, and 
Medina Celi : both had principalities lying along the 
seaboard, with armies of vassals, and ports and shipping 
at their command. Columbus had many interviews with 
the duke of Medina Sidonia, who was tempted for a time 
by the splendid prospects held out; but their very splen- 
dour threw a colouring of exaggeration over the enter- 
prise, and he finally rejected it as the dream of an Italian 
visionary. 

The duke of Medina Celi was still more favourable, 
and was actually on the point of granting him three or 
four caravals which lay ready for sea, in his harbour of 
Port St. Mary, but he suddenly changed his mind, fearing 
to awaken the jealousy of the crown, and to be consider- 
ed as interfering with the views of the sovereigns, who 
he knew had been treating with Columbus. He advised 



OF COLUMBUS. 49 

him, therefore, to return once more to court, and he 
wrote a letter to the queen in favour of his project. 

Columbus felt averse to the idea of subjecting himself 
again to the tantalizing delays and disappointments of 
the court, and determined to repair to Paris. He de- 
parted, therefore, for the convent of La Rabida, to seek 
his oldest son Diego, and leave him with his other son at 
Cordova. 

When the worthy Friar Juan Perez de Marchena beheld 
Columbus arrive once more at the gate of his convent, 
after nearly seven years fruitless soUcitation at the court, 
and saw by the humility of his garb, the poverty he had 
experienced, he was greatly moved ; but when he found 
that he was on the point of leaving Spain, and carrying 
his proposition to another country, his patriotism took 
the alarm. He had been confessor to the queen, and 
knew her to be always accessible to persons of his 
sacred calling. He wrote a letter to her therefore, ear- 
nestly vindicating the proposed scheme, and conjuring 
her not to turn a deaf ear to a matter of such vast im- 
portance ; and he prevailed upon Columbus to delay his 
journey until an answer should be received. 

The ambassador chosen by the little junto of the con- 
vent was one Sebastian Rodriguez, a pilot of Lepe, who 
acquitted himself faithfully, expeditiously, and success- 
fully, in his embassy. He found access to the benignant 
princess in the royal camp at Santa Fe, before Granada, 
and delivered the epistle of the friar. He returned ia 
fourteen days, with a letter from the queen, thanking" 
Juan Perez for his timely services, and requesting him 
to repair immediately to the court, leaving Columbus in 
confident hope of hearing farther from her. This royal 
epistle caused great exultation in the convent. No 

6 



50 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

sooner did the warm hearted friar receive it, than he pro- 
cured a mule, and departed instantly, before midnight, for 
the court. His sacred office, and his former relation as 
father confessor, gave him immediate admission to the 
queen, and great freedom of counsel. It is probable Isa- 
bella had never heard the proposition of Columbus urged 
with such honest zeal and impressive eloquence. She 
was naturally more sanguine and susceptible than the 
king, and more open to warm and generous impulses. 
Moved by the representations of Juan Perez, she re- 
quested that Columbus might be again sent to her, and 
kindly bethinking herself of his poverty, and his humble 
plight, ordered that a sufficient sum of money should be 
forwarded to him, to defray his travelling expenses, to 
provide him with a mule for his journey, and to furnish 
him with decent raiment, that he might make a respecta- 
ble appearance at the court. Columbus lost no time in 
complying with the commands of the queen. He ex- 
changed his thread-bare garment for one of more courtly 
texture, and, purchasing a mule, set out once more, re- 
animated by fresh hopes, for the camp before Granada. 
He arrived in time to witness the memorable surrender 
of that capital to the Spanish arms. He beheld Boabdil 
el Chico, the last of the Moorish kings, sally forth from 
the Alhambra, and yield up the keys of that favourite 
seat of Moslem power ; while the king and queen, with 
all the chivalry and magnificence of Spain, moved for- 
ward in proud and solemn procession, to receive this 
token of submission. It was one of the most brilliant 
triumphs in Spanish history. The air resounded with 
shouts of joy, with songs of triumph and hymns of 
thanksgiving. On every side were beheld military re- 
joicings and religious oblations. The court was throng- 



OF COLUMBUS. 51 

ed by the most illustrious of that warlike country, and 
stirring era ; by the flower of its nobility, the most dig- 
nified of its prelacy, by bards and minstrels, and all the 
retinue of a romantic and picturesque age. 

During this brilliant and triumphant scene, says an 
elegant Spanish writer, " A man, obscure and but little 
known, followed the court. Confounded in the crowd of 
importunate applicants, and feeding his imagination, in 
the corners of antichambers, with the pompous project 
of discovering a world, he was melancholy and de- 
jected in the midst of the general rejoicing, and beheld 
with indifference, almost with contempt, the conclusion 
of a conquest which swelled all bosoms with jubilee, 
and seemed to have reached the utmost bounds of de- 
sire. That man was Christopher Columbus." 

The moment had now arrived, however, when the mo- 
narchs stood pledged to attend to his proposals. They 
kept their word, and persons of confidence were appoint- 
ed to negotiate with him, among whom was Fernando de 
Talavera, who, by the recent conquest, had risen to be 
archbishop of Granada. At the very outset of their ne- 
gotiation, however, unexpected difficulties arose. The 
principal stipulation of Columbus was, that he should be 
invested with the titles and privileges of admiral and 
viceroy, over the countries he should discover, with one 
tenth of all gains, either by trade or conquest. The 
courtiers who treated with him, were indignant at such 
a demand from one whom they had considered a needy 
adventurer. One observed, with a sneer, that it was a 
shrewd arrangement which he proposed, whereby he 
was certain of the profits and honours of a command, 
and had nothing to lose in case of failure. To this Co- 
lumbus promptly replied, by oflfering to furnish one 



52 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

eighth of the cost, on condition of enjoying an eighth of 
the profits. His terms, however, were pronounced in- 
admissible, and others were offered, of more moderate 
nature, but he refused to cede one point of his demands, 
and the negotiation was broken off. 

It is impossible not to admire the great constancy of 
purpose, and loftiness of spirit, here displayed by Co- 
lumbus. Though so large a portion of life had worn 
away, in fruitless solicitings, during which he had expe 
rienced the bitterness of poverty, neglect, ridicule, and 
disappointment ; though there was no certainty that he 
would not have to enter upon the same career at any 
other court ; yet nothing could shake his perseverance, 
or make him descend to terms which he considered be- 
neath the dignity of his enterprise. Indignant at the re- 
peated disappointments he had experienced in Spain, he 
now determined to abandon it forever, and mounting his 
mule, sallied forth from Santa Fe, on his way to Cordo- 
va, with the intention of immediately proceeding from 
thence to France. 

i When the few friends, who were zealous believers in 
the theory of Columbus, saw him on the point of aban- 
doning the country, they were filled with distress. 
Among the number was Luis de St. Angel, receiver of 
the ecclesiastical revenues of Arragon, and Alonzo de 
Quintanilla, who determined to make one bold effort to 
avert the evil. They hastened to the queen, and St. 
Angel addressed her with a courage and eloquence in- 
spired by the exigency of the moment. He did not con- 
fine himself to intreaties, but almost mingled reproaches. 
He expressed his astonishment that a queen who had 
evinced the spirit to undertake so many great and peri- 
lous enterprises, should hesitate at one where the loss 



OF COLUMBUS. 53 

could be but trifling, while the gain might be incalcuable ; 
for all that was required for this great expedition was but 
two vessels, and about thirty thousand crowns, and Co- 
lumbus himself had offered to bear an eighth of the ex- 
pense. He reminded her how much might be done for 
the glory of God, the promotion of the christian faith, 
and the extension of her own power and dominion, should 
this enterprise be adopted ; but what cause of regret it 
would be to herself, of sorrow to her friends, and triumph 
to her enemies, should it be rejected by her, and accom- 
plished by some other power. He vindicated the judg- 
ment of Columbus, and the soundness and practicability 
of his plans, and observed, that even a failure would re- 
flect no disgrace upon the crown. It was worth the 
trouble and expense to clear up even a doubt, upon a mat- 
ter of such importance, for it belonged to enlightened and 
magnanimous princes, to investigate questions of the kind, 
and to explore the wonders and secrets of the universe. 
These, and many more arguments, were urged, with 
that persuasive power which honest zeal imparts. The 
generous spirit of Isabella was enkindled, and it seemed 
as if the subject, for the first time, broke upon her mind 
in its real grandeur. She declared her resolution to un- 
dertake the enterprise, but paused for a moment, re- 
membering that King Ferdinand looked coldly on the 
affair, and that the royal treasury was absolutely drained 
by the war. Her suspense was but momentary. With 
an enthusiasm worthy of herself and of the cause, she 
exclaimed, " I undertake the enterprise for my own 
crown of Castile, and will pledge my jewels to raise the 
necessary funds." This was the proudest moment in 
the life of Isabella ; it stamped her renown for ever as 
the patroness of the discovery of the New World. 

5* 



54 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

St. Angel, eager to secure this favourable resolution, 
assured her majesty that there would be no need of 
pledging her jewels, as he was ready to advance the ne- 
cessary funds, as a loan from the treasury of Arragon ; 
his offer was gladly accepted. 

Columbus had proceeded on his solitary journey across 
the vega of Granada, and had reached the bridge of 
Pinos, about two leagues from that city, a pass famous 
for bloody encounters during the Moorish wars. Here 
he was overtaken by a courier sent after him in all 
speed by the queen, requesting him to return to Santa 
Fe. He hesitated for a moment, to subject himself again 
to the delays and equivocations of the court; but when 
he was informed that Isabella had positively undertaken 
the enterprise, and pledged her royal word, every doubt 
was dispelled, he turned the reins of his mule, and has- 
tened back joyfully to Santa Fe, confiding implicitly in 
the noble probity of that princess. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Arrangement with the Spanish Sovereigns. Prepara- 
tions for the Expedition at the port of Palos. [1492] 

On arriving at Santa Fe, Columbus had an immediate 
audience of the queen, and the benignity with which 
she received him, atoned for all past neglect. Through 
deference to the zeal sh6 thus suddenly displayed, the 
king yielded his tardy concurrence, but Isabella was the 
soul of this grand enterprise. She was prompted by 
lofty and generous enthusiasm, while the king remained 



OF COLUMBUS. 65 

cold and calculating, in this as in all his other under- 
takings. 

A perfect understanding being thus effected with the 
sovereigns, articles of agreement were drawn out by 
Juan de Coloma, the royal secretary. They were to the 
following effect : — 

1. That Columbus should have, for himself during his 
life, and his heirs and successors forever, the office of 
high admiral in all the seas, lands, and continents, he 
might discover, with similar honours and prerogatives to 
those enjoyed by the high admiral of Castile, in his 
district. 

2. That he should be viceroy and governor general 
over all the said lands and continents, with the privilege 
of nominating three candidates for the government of 
each island or province, one of whom should be selected 
by the sovereigns. 

3. That he should be entitled to one tenth of all free 
profits, arising from the merchandise and productions of 
the countries within his admiralty. 

4. That he, or his lieutenant, should be the sole judge 
of all causes and disputes arising out of traffic between 
those countries and Spain. 

5. That he might then, and at all after times, contri- 
bute an eighth part of the expense of expeditions to sail 
to the countries he expected to discover, and should 
receive in consequence an eighth part of the profits. 

These capitulations were signed by Ferdinand and 
Isabella, at the city of Santa Fe, in the vega or plain 
of Granada, on the 17th of April, 1492. All the royal 
documents, issued in consequence, bore equally the sig- 
natures of Ferdinand and Isabella, but her separate 
crown of Castile defrayed all the expense. As to the 



50 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

money advanced by St. Angel out of the treasury of 
King Ferdinand, that prudent monarch indemnified him- 
self, some few years afterwards, by employing some of 
the first gold brought by Columbus from the new world 
to gild the vaults and ceilings of the grand saloon, in his 
royal palace of Saragoza, in Arragon. 

One of the great objects held out by Columbus in his 
undertaking, was the propagation of the christian faith. 
He expected to arrive at the extremity of Asia, or India, 
as it was then generally termed, at the vast empire of the 
Grand Khan, of whose maritime provinces of Mangi and 
Cathay, and their dependent islands, since ascertained 
to be a part of the kingdom of China, the most magnifi- 
cent accounts had been given by Marco Polo. Various 
missions had been sent, in former times, by popes and 
pious sovereigns, to instruct this oriental potentate, and 
his subjects, in the doctrines of Christianity. Columbus 
hoped to effect this grand work, and to spread the light 
of the true faith among the barbarous countries and na- 
tions that were to be discovered in the unknown parts of 
the east. Isabella, from pious zeal, and Ferdinand from 
mingled notions of bigotry and ambition, accorded with 
his views, and when he afterwards departed on this voy- 
age, letters were actually given him, by the sovereigns, 
for the Grand Khan of Tartary. 

The ardent enthusiasm of Columbus did not stop here. 
Recollecting the insolent threat once made by the sol- 
dan of Egypt, to destroy the holy sepulchre at Jerusa- 
lem, he proposed that the profits which might arise from 
his discoveries, should be consecrated to a crusade for 
the rescue of the holy edifice from the power of the in- 
fidels. The sovereigns smiled at this sally of the imagi- 
nation, and expressed themselves well pleased with the 



OF COLUMBUS. 57 

idea ; but what they may have considered a mere mo- 
mentary thought, was a deep and cherished design of 
Columbus. It is a curious and characteristic fact, which 
has never been particularly noticed, that the recovery of 
the holy sepulchre was the leading object of his ambi- 
tion, meditated throughout the remainder of his life, 
and solemnly provided for in his will, and that he con- 
sidered his great discovery but as a preparatory dispensa- 
tion of Providence, to furnish means for its accomplish- 
ment. 

The port of Palos de Moguer, in Andalusia, was fixed 
upon as the place where the armament for the expedi- 
tion was to be fitted out, the community of the place be- 
ing obliged, in consequence of some misdemeanour, to 
serve the crown for one year with two armed caravals. 
A royal order was issued, commanding the authorities of 
palos to have these caravals ready for sea within ten 
days, and to yield them and their crews to the command 
of Columbus. The latter was likewise empowered to 
fit out a third vessel ; nor was any restriction put upon 
his voyage, excepting that he should not go to the coast 
of Guinea, or any other of the lately discovered posses- 
sions of Portugal. Orders were likewise issued by the 
sovereigns, commanding the inhabitants of the sea-board 
of Andalusia, to furnish supplies and assistance of all 
kind for the expedition, at reasonable rate, and threaten- 
ing severe penalties to such as should cause any im- 
pediment. 

As a mark of particular favour to Columbus, Isabella, 
before his departure from the court, appointed his son 
Diego page to Prince Juan, the heir apparent, an ho- 
nour granted only to the sons of persons of distinguished 
rank. Thus gratified in his dearest wishes, Columbus 



58 THE LI¥E AND VOYAGES 

took leave of the court on the 12th of May, and set out 
joyfully for Palos. Let those who are disposed to faint 
under difficulties, in the prosecution of any great and 
worthy undertaking, remember that eighteen years 
elapsed after Columbus conceived his enterprise, before 
he was enabled to carry it into effect ; that the most ol 
that time was passed in almost hopeless solicitation, 
amidst poverty, neglect, and taunting ridicule; that 
the prime of his life had wasted away in the struggle ; 
and that when his perseverance was finally crowned with 
success, he was about fifty-six years of age. His exam- 
ple should teach the enterprising never to despair. 

When Columbus arrived at Palos, and presented him- 
self once more before the gates of the convent of La Ra- 
bida, he was received with open arms by the worthy 
Juan Perez, and again entertained as his guest. The 
zealous friar accompanied him to the parochial church of 
St. George, in Palos, where Columbus caused the royal 
order for the caravals to be read by a notary public, in 
presence of the authorities of the place. Nothing could 
equal the astonishment and horror of the people of this 
maritime community, when they heard of the nature of 
the expedition, in which they were ordered to engage. 
They considered the ships and crews demanded of them, 
in the light of sacrifices devoted to destruction. All the 
frightful tales and fables with which ignorance and su- 
perstition are prone to people obscure and distant regions, 
were conjured up concerning the unknown parts of the 
deep, and the boldest seamen shrunk from such a wild 
and chimerical cruise into the wilderness of the ocean. 

Repeated mandates were issued by the sovereigns, or- 
dering the magistrates of Palos, and the neighbouring 
town of Moguer, to press into th'e service any Spanish 



OF COLUMBUS. 59 

vessels and crews they might think proper, and threaten- 
ing severe punishments on all who should prove refrac- 
tory. It was all in vain ; the communities of those 
places were thrown into complete confusion ; tumults 
and altercations took place, but nothing of consequence 
was effected. 

At length Martin Alonzo Pinzon, the wealthy and 
enterprising navigator, who has already been mentioned, 
came forward and engaged personally in the expedition. 
He and his brother Vicente Yanez Pinzon, who was 
likewise a navigator of great courage and ability, pos- 
sessed vessels, and had seamen in their employ. They 
were related to many of the seafaring inhabitants of 
Palos and Moguer, and had great influence throughout 
the neighbourhood. It is supposed that they furnished 
Columbus with funds to pay the eighth share of the ex- 
pense which he had engaged to advance. They furnished 
two of the vessels required, and determined to sail in 
the expedition. Their example and persuasions had a 
wonderful effect ; a great many of their relations and 
friends agreed to embark, and the vessels were ready for 
sea within a month after they had engaged in their en- 
terprise. 

During the equipment of the armament, various dif- 
ficulties occurred. A third vessel, called the Pinta, had 
been pressed into the service, with its crew. The 
owners, Gomez Rascon, and Christoval Quintero, were 
strongly repugnant to the voyage, as were most of the 
mariners under them. These people, and their friends, 
endeavoured in various ways to retard or defeat the 
voyage. The caulkers did their work in a careless man- 
ner, and, on being ordered to do it over again, absconded; 
several of the seamen who had enlisted willingly, re- 



60 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

pented and deserted. Every thing had to be effected by 
harsh and arbitrary measures, and in defiance of popular 
opposition. 

At length, by the beginning of August, every difficulty 
was vanquished, and the vessels were ready for sea. 
After all the objections made by various courts, to un- 
dertake this expedition, it is surprising how inconsidera- 
ble an armament was required. Two of the vessels 
were light barques, called caravals, not superior to river 
and coasting craft of modern days. They were built 
high at the prow and stern, with forecastles and cabins for 
the crew, but were without deck in the centre. On- 
ly one of the three, called the Santa Maria, was com- 
pletely decked, on board of which Columbus hoisted his 
flag. Martin Alonzo Pinzon commanded one of the 
caravals, called the Pinta, and was accompanied by his 
brother, Francisco Martin, as mate or pilot. The other, 
called the Nina, had latine sails, and was commanded by Vi- 
cente Yanez Pinzon ; on board of this vessel went Gar- 
cia Fernandez, the physician of Palos, in the capacity 
of steward. There were three other able pilots, San- 
cho Ruiz, Pedro Alonzo Nino, and Bartholomew Roldan, 
and the whole number of persons embarked was one 
hundred and twenty. 

The squadron being ready to put to sea, Columbus 
confessed himself to the Friar Juan Perez, and partook 
of the communion, and his example was followed by 
the officers and crews, committing themselves, with the 
most devout and affecting ceremonials, to the especial 
guidance and protection of heaven, in this perilous enter- 
prise. A deep gloom was spread over the whole com- 
munity of Palos, for almost every one had some relation 
or friend on board of the squadron. The spirits of the 



OF COLUMBUS. 61 

seBmen, already depressed by their own fears, were still 
more cast down, at beholding the affliction of those they 
left behind, who took leave of them with tears and la- 
mentations and dismal forebodings, as of men they were 
never to behold again. 



CHAPTER X. 

Events of the first Voyage — Discovery of Land. [1492.] 

It was early in the morning of Friday the 3d of Au- 
gust, 1492, that Columbus set sail from the bar of Saltes, 
a small island formed by the rivers Odiel and Tinto, in 
front of Palos, steering for the Canary Islands, from 
whence he intended to strike due Avest. As a guide by 
which to sail, he had the conjectural map or chart, sent 
him by Paolo Toscanelli of Florence. In this it is sup- 
posed the coasts of Europe and Africa, from the south 
of Ireland to the end of Guinea, were delineated as im- 
mediately opposite to the extremity of Asia, while the 
great island of Cipango, described by Marco Polo, lay 
between them, fifteen hundred miles from the Asiatic 
coast ; at this island Columbus expected first to arrive. 

On the third day after setting sail, the Pinta made 
signal of distress, her rudder being broken and unhung. 
This was suspected to have been done through the con- 
trivance of the owners, Gomez Rascon and Christoval 
Quintero, to disable the vessel, and cause her to be left 
behind. Columbus was much disturbed at this occur- 
rence. It gave him a foretaste of the difficulties to be 
apprehended, from people partly enlisted on compul- 
6 



62 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

sion, and full of doubt and foreboding. Trivial obstacles 
might, in this early stage of the voyage, spread panic 
and mutiny through his crews, and induce them to re- 
nounce the prosecution of the enterprise. 

Martin Alonzo Pinzon, who commanded the Pinta, 
secured the rudder with cords, but these fastenings soon 
gave way, and the caraval proving defective in other re- 
spects, ColumbTis remained three weeks cruising among 
the Canary Islands, in search of another vessel to re- 
place her. Not being able to find one, the Pinta was 
repaired, and furnished with a new rudder. The latine 
sails of the Nina were also altered into square sails, 
that she might work more steadily and securely. While 
making these repairs, and taking in wood and water, 
Columbus was informed that three Portuguese caravals 
had been seen hovering off the island of Ferro. Dread- 
ing some hostile stratagem, on the part of the king of 
Portugal, in revenge for his having embarked in the 
service of Spain, he put to sea early on the morning 
of the 6th of September, but for three days a profound 
calm detained the vessels within a short distance of the 
land. This was a tantalizing delay, for Columbus trem- 
bled lest something should occur to defeat his expedition, 
and was impatient to find himself far upon the ocean, 
out of sight of either land or sail ; which, in the pure 
atmospheres of these latitudes, may be descried at an 
immense distance. 

On Sunday, the 9th of September, as day broke, he 
beheld Ferro about nine leagues distant ; he was in the 
very neighbourhood, therefore, where the Portuguese 
caravals had been seen. Fortunately a breeze sprang up 
with the sun, and in the course of the day the heights of 
Ferro gradually faded from the horizon. 



OF COLUMBUS. ' r 63 

On losing sight of this last trace of land, the hearts 
of the crews failed them, for they seemed to have taken 
leave of the world. Behind them was every thing dear 
to the heart of man — country, family, friends, life itself; 
before them every thing was chaos, mystery, and peril. 
In the perturbation of the moment, they despaired of 
ever more seeing their homes. Many of the rugged 
seamen shed tears, and some broke into loud lamenta- 
tions. Columbus tried in every way to soothe their dis- 
tress, describing the splendid countries to which he ex- 
pected to conduct them, and promising them land, riches, 
and every thing that could arouse their cupidity or in- 
flame their imaginations ; nor were these promises made 
for purposes of deception, for he certainly believed he 
should realize them all. 

He now gave orders to the commanders of the other 
vessels, in case they should be separated by any accident, 
to continue directly westward ; but that after sailing 
seven hundred leagues, they should lay by from midnight 
until daylight, as at about that distance he confidently 
expected to find land. Foreseeing that the vague terrors 
already awakened among the seamen would increase 
with the space which intervened between them and their 
homes, he commenced a stratagem which he continued 
throughout the voyage. This was to keep two reckon- 
ings, one private, in which the true way of the ship was 
noted, and which he retained in secret for . his own 
government ; the other public, for general inspection, in 
which a number of leagues was daily subtracted from 
the sailing of the ships, so as to keep the crews in 
ignorance of the real distance they had advanced. 

When about one hundred and fifty leagues west of 
Ferro, tliey fell in with a part of a mast of a large vessel, 



64 



THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 



and the crews, tremblingly alive to every portent, looked 
with a rueful eye upon this fragment of a wreck, drifting 
ominously at the entrance of these unknown seas. 

On the 13th of September, in the evening, Columbus, 
for the first time, noticed the variation of the needle, a 
phenomenon which had never before been remarked. He 
at first made no mention of it, lest his people should be 
alarmed ; but it soon attracted the attention of the pilots, 
and filled them with consternation. It seemed as if the 
very laws of nature were changing as they advanced, and 
that they were entering another world, subject to unknown 
influences. They apprehended that the compass was 
about to lose its mysterious virtues, and, without this 
guide, what was to become of them in a vast and track- 
less ocean ? Columbus tasked his science and ingenuity 
for reasons with which to allay their terrors. He told 
them that the direction of the needle was not to the polar 
star, but to some fixed and invisible point. The varia- 
tion, therefore, was not caused by any fallacy in the 
compass, but by the movement of the north star itself, 
which, like the other heavenly bodies, had its changes 
and revolutions, and every day described a circle round 
the pole. The high opinion they entertained of Colum- 
bus as a profound astronomer, gave weight to his theory, 
and their alarm subsided. 

They had now arrived within the influence of the trade 
winds, which, following the sun, blows steadily from east 
to west between the tropics, and sweeps over a few ad- 
joining degrees of the ocean. With this propitious breeze 
directly aft, they were wafted gently but speedily over a 
tranquil sea, so that for many days they did not shift a 
sail. Columbus in his journal perpetually recurs to the 
bland and temperate serenity of the weather, and com- 



OF COLUMBUS. 6& 

pares the pure and balmy mornings to those of April in 
Andalusia, observing, that the song of the nightingale 
was alone wanting to complete the illusion. 
f, They now began to see large patches of herbs and 
weeds all drifting from the west. Some were such as 
grow about rocks or in rivers, and as green as if recently 
washed from the land. On one of the patches was a 
live crab. They saw also a white tropical bird, of a kind 
which never sleeps upon the sea ; and tunny fish played 
about the ships. Columbus now supposed himself arrived 
in the weedy sea described by Aristotle, into which cer- 
tain ships of Cadiz had been driven by an impetuous east 
wind. 

As he advanced, there were various other signs that 
gave great animation to the crews ; many birds were 
seen flying from the west ; there was a cloudiness in the 
north, such as often hangs over land ; and at sunset the 
imagination of the seamen, aided by their desires, would 
shape those clouds into distant islands. Every one was 
eager to be the first to behold and announce the wished- 
for shore ; for the sovereigns had promised a pension of 
thirty crowns to whomsoever should first discover land. 
Columbus sounded occasionally with a line of two hun- 
dred fathoms, but found no bottom. Martin Alonzo 
Pinzon, as well as others of his officers, and many of the 
seamen, were often solicitous for Columbus to alter his 
course, and steer in the direction of these favourable 
signs ; "but he persevered in steering to the westward, 
trusting that, by keeping in one steady direction, he 
should reach the coast of India, even if he should miss 
the intervening islands, and might then seek them on his 
return. 

Notwithstanding the precaution wlych had been taken 
6* 



^ THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

to keep the people ignorant of the distance they had 
sailed, they gradually became uneasy at the length of the 
voyage. The various indications of land which occa- 
sionally flattered their hopes, passed away one after ano- 
ther, and the same interminable expanse of sea and sky 
continued to extend before them. They had advanced 
much farther to the west than ever man had sailed be- 
fore, and though already beyond the reach of succour, 
ivere still pressing onward and onward into that appa- 
rently boundless abyss. Even the favourable wind, which 
seemed as if providentially sent to waft them to the new 
world with such bland and gentle breezes, was conjured 
by their fears into a source of alarm. They feared that 
the wind in these seas always prevailed from the east, 
and if so, would never permit their return to Spain. A 
few light breezes from the west allayed for a time their 
last apprehension, and several small birds, such as keep 
about groves and orchards, came singing in the morning, 
and flew away at night. Their song was wonderfully 
cheering to the hearts of the poor mariners, who hailed 
it as the voice of land. The birds they had hitherto seen 
had been large and strong of wing, but such small birds, 
they observed, were too feeble to fly far, and their sing- 
ing showed that they were not exhausted by their flight. 
On the following day there was a profound calm, and 
the sea, as far as the eye could reach, was covered with 
weeds, so as to have the appearance of a vast inundated 
meadow, a phenomenon attributed to the immense quan- 
tities of submarine plants which are detached by the 
currents from the bottom of the ocean. The seamen 
now feared that the sea was growing shallow ; they 
dreaded lurking rocks, and shoals, and quicksands, and 
that their vessels might run aground, as it were, in the 



OF COLUMBUS. 67 

midst of the ocean, far out of the track of human aid, 
and with no shore where the crews could take refuge. 
Columbus proved the fallacy of this alarm, by sounding 
with a deep sea-line, and finding no bottom. 

For three days there was a continuance of light summer 
airs, from the southward and westward, and the sea was 
as smooth as a mirror. The crews now became uneasy 
at the calmness of the weather. They observed that 
the contrary winds they experienced were transient and 
unsteady, and so light as not to ruffle the surface of the 
sea ; the only winds of constancy and force were from 
the west, and even they had not power to disturb the 
torpid stillness of the ocean : there was a risk, therefore, 
either of perishing amidst stagnant and shoreless wa- 
ters, or of being prevented, by contrary winds, from ever 
returning to their native country. 

Columbus continued, with admirable patience, to rea- 
son with these absurd fancies, but in vain ; when fortu- 
nately there came on a heavy swell of the sea, unac- 
companied by wind, a phenomenon that often occurs in 
the broad ocean, caused by the impulse of some past gale, 
or distant current of wind. It was, nevertheless, re- 
garded with astonishment by the mariners, and dispelled 
the imaginary terrors occasioned by the calm. 
I The situation of Columbus was daily becoming more 
and more critical. The impatience of the seamen arose 
to absolute mutiny. They gathered together in the re- 
tired parts of the ships, at first in little knots of two and 
three, which gradually increased and became formidable, 
joining in murmurs and menaces against the admiral. 
They exclaimed against him as an ambitious desperado, 
who, in a mad phantasy, had determined to do something 
extravagant, to render himself notorious. What obliga- 



68 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

tion bound them to persist, or when were the terms of 
their agreement to be considered as fulfilled ? They had 
already penetrated into seas untraversed by a sail, and 
where man had never before adventured. Were they to 
sail on until they perished, or until all return with their 
frail ships became impossible? Who would blame them, 
should they consult their safety and return ? The admi- 
ral was a foreigner, a man without friends or influence. 
His scheme had been condemned by the learned as idle 
and visionary, and discountenanced by people of all 
ranks. There was, therefore, no party on his side, but 
rather a large number who would be gratified by his 
failure. 

Such are some of the reasonings by which these men 
prepared themselves for open rebellion. Some even 
proposed, as an effectual mode of silencing all after 
complaints of the admiral, that they should throw him 
into the sea, and give out that he had fallen overboard, 
while contemplating the stars and signs of the heavens, 
with his astronomical instruments. 

Columbus was not ignorant of these secret cabals, but 
he kept a serene and steady countenance, soothing some 
with gentle words, stimulating the pride or the avarice 
of others, and openly menacing the most refractory with 
punishment. New hopes diverted them for a time. ,On 
the 25th of September, Martin Alonzo Pinzon mounted 
on the stern of his vessel, and shouted, " Land ! land ! 
Seiior, I claim the reward ?" There was, indeed, such 
an appearance of land in the southwest, that Columbus 
threw himself upon his knees, and returned thanks to 
God, and all the crews joined in chanting Gloria in ex- 
celsis. The ships altered their course, and stood all 
night to the southw^est, but the morning light put an end 



OF COLUMBirS* 69 

to all their hopes as to a dream : the fancied land proved 
to be nothing but an evening cloud, and had vanished in 
the night. 

For several days they continued on with alternate 
hopes and murmurs, until the various signs of land be- 
came so numerous, that the seamen, from a state of des- 
pondency, passed to one of high excitement. Eager to 
obtain the promised pension, they were continually 
giving the cry of land ; until Columbus declared, that 
should any one give a notice of the kind, and land not be 
discovered within three days afterwards, he should 
thenceforth forfeit all claim to the reward. 

On the 7th of October, they had come seven hundred 
and fifty leagues, the distance at which Columbus had 
computed to find the island of Cipango. There were 
great flights of small field birds to the southwest, which 
seemed to indicate some neighbouring land in that direc- 
tion, where they were sure of food and a resting placCi 
Yielding to the solicitations of Martin Alonzo Pinzon, 
and his brothers, Columbus, on the evening of the 7th, 
altered his course, therefore, to the west south west. As 
he advanced, the signs of land increased ; the birds came 
singing about the ships ; and herbage floated by as fresh 
and green as if recently from shore. When, however, 
on the evening of the third day of this new course, the 
seamen beheld the sun go down upon a shoreless hori- 
zon, they again broke forth into loud clamours, and in- 
sisted upon abandoning the voyage. Columbus endea- 
voured to pacify them by gentle words and liberal pro- 
mises ; but finding these only increased their violence, 
he assumed a different tone, and told them it was useless 
to murmur ; the expedition had been sent by the sove- 
reigns to seek the Indies, and happen what might, he 



70 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

was determined to persevere, until, by the blessing of 
God, he should accomplish the enterprise. 

He was now at open defiance with his crew, and his 
situation would have been desperate, but, fortunately, the 
manifestations of land on the following day were such 
as no longer to admit of doubt. A green fish, such as 
keeps about rocks, swam by the ships ; and a branch of 
thorn, with berries on it, floated by ; they picked up, also, 
a reed, a small board, and, above all, a staflf artificially 
carved. All gloom and murmuring was now at an end, 
and throughout the day each one was on the watch for 
the long sought land. 

In the evening, when, according to custom, the mari- 
ners had sung the salve regina, or vesper hymn to the 
virgin, Columbus made an impressive address to his 
crew, pointing out the goodness of God in thus conduct- 
ing them by soft and favouring breezes across a tran- 
quil ocean to the promised land. He expressed a strong 
confidence of making land that very night, and ordered 
that a vigilant lookout should be kept from the forecastle, 
promising to whomsoever should make the discovery, a 
doublet of velvet, in addition to the pension to be given 
by the sovereigns. 

The breeze had been fresh all day, with more sea than 
usual ; at sunset they stood again to the west, and were 
ploughing the waves at a rapid rate, the Pinta keeping 
the lead from her superior sailing. The greatest ani- 
mation prevailed throughout the ships ; not an eye was 
closed that night. As the evening darkened, Columbus 
took his station on the top of the castle or cabin on the 
high poop of his vessel. However he might carry a 
cheerful and confident countenance during the day, 
it was to him a time of the most painful anxiety ; 



OF COLUMBUS. 71 

and now when he was wrapped from observation by the 
shades of night, he maintained an intense and unremit- 
ting watch, ranging his eye along the dusky horizon, in 
search of the most vague indications of land. Suddenly, 
about ten o'clock, he thought he beheld a light glimmering 
at a distance. Fearing that his eager hopes might de- 
ceive him, he called to Pedro Gutierrez, gentleman of 
the king's bed chamber, and demanded whether he saw a 
light in that direction ; the latter replied in the affirma- 
tive. Columbus, yet doubtful whether it might notbe some 
delusion of the fancy, called Rodrigo Sanchez of Sego- 
via, and made the same inquiry. By the time the latter 
had ascended the round house, the light had disappeared. 
They saw it once or twice afterwards in sudden and pass- 
ing gleams, as if it were a torch in the bark of a fish- 
erman, rising and sinking wdth the waves ; or in the 
hands of some person on shore, borne up and down as 
he walked from house to house. So transient and uncer- 
tain were these gleams, that few attached any importance 
to them ; Columbus, however, considered them as certain 
signs of land, and, moreover, that the land was inhabited. 

They continued on their course until two in the morn- 
ing, when a gun from the Pinta gave the joyful signal of 
land. It was first discovered by a mariner named Rod- 
riguez Bermejo, resident of Triana, a suburb of Seville, 
but native of Alcala de la Guadaira ; but the reward was 
afterwards adjudged to the admiral, for having previous- 
ly perceived the light. The land was now clearly seen 
about two leagues distant, whereupon they took in sail, 
and laid to, waiting impatiently for the dawn. 

The thoughts and feelings of Columbus in this little 
space of time must have been tumultuous and intense. 
At length, in spite of every difficulty and danger, he had 



T3 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

accomplished his object. The great mystery of the ocean 
was revealed ; his theory, which had been the scoff of 
sages, was triumphantly established ; he had secured to 
himself a glory which must be as durable as the world 
itself. 

It is difficult even for the imagination to conceive the 
feelings of such a man, at the moment of so sublime a 
discovery. What a bewildering crowd of conjectures 
must have thronged upon his mind, as to the land which lay 
before him, covered with darkness. That it was fruitful 
was evident from the vegetables which floated from its 
shores. He thought, too, that he perceived in the balmy air 
the fragrance of aromatic groves. The moving light which 
he had beheld, proved that it was the residence of man. 
But what were its inhabitants ? Were they like those of 
other parts of the globe ; or were they some strange and 
monstrous race, such as the imagination in those times 
was prone to give to all remote and unknown regions ? 
Had he come upon some wild island, far in the Indian 
seas ; or was this the famed Cipango itself, the object of 
his golden fancies. A thousand speculations of the kind 
must have swarmed upon him, as he watched for the 
night to pass away ; wondering whether the morning 
light would reveal a savage wilderness, or dawn upon 
spicy groves, and glittering fanes, and gilded cities, 
and all the splendours of oriental civilization. 



OF COLUMBUS. 73 



CHAPTER XI. 



First landing of Columbus in the New World. Cruise 
among the Bahama Islands. Discovery of Cuba and 
. Hispaniola. [1492.] 

When the day dawned, Columbus saw before him a 
level and beautiful island, several leagues in extent, of 
great freshness and verdure, and covered with trees 
like a continual orchard. Though every thing appeared 
in the wild luxuriance of untamed nature, yet the island 
was evidently populous, for the inhabitants were seen 
issuing from the woods, and running from all parts to the 
shore. They were all perfectly nakfed, and from their 
attitudes and gestures, appeared lost in astonishment at 
the sight of the ships. Columbus made signal to cast 
anchor, and to man the boats. He entered his own boat, 
richly attired in scarlet, and bearing the royal standard. 
Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and Vincente Yanez the brother, 
likewise put off in their boats, each bearing the banner 
of the enterprise emblazoned with a green cross, having 
on each side the letters T and Y, surmounted by crowns, 
the Spanish initials of the Castilian monarchs, Fernando 
and Ysabel. 

As they approached the shores, they were delighted 
by the beauty and grandeur of the forests ; the variety of 
unknown fruits on the trees which overhung the shores ; 
the purity and suavity of the atmosphere, and the crystal 
transparency of the seas which bathe these islands. On 
landing, Columbus threw himself upon his knees, kissed 
the earth, and returned thanks to God with tears of joy. 
His example was followed by his companions, whose 

7 



94. THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

breasts, indeed, were full to overflowing. Columbus then 
rising, drew his sword, displayed the royal standard, and 
took possession in the names of the Castilian sovereigns, 
giving the island the name of San Salvador. He then 
called upon all present to take the oath of obedience to 
him as admiral and viceroy, and representative of the 
sovereigns. 

His followers now burst forth into the most extrava- 
gant transports. They thronged around him, some em- 
bracing him, others kissing his hands. Those who had 
been most mutinous and turbulent during the voyage, 
were now most devoted and enthusiastic. Some begged 
favours of him, as of a man who had already wealth and 
honours in his gift. Many abject spirits, who had out- 
raged him by their insolence, now crouched at his feet, 
begging his forgiveness, and offering for the future the 
blindest obedience to his commands. 

The natives of the island, when, at the dawn of day, 
they had beheld the ships hovering on the coast, had 
supposed them some monsters, which had issued from 
the deep during the night. Their veering about, without 
any apparent effort, and the shifting and furling of their 
sails, resembling huge wings, filled them with astonish- 
ment. When they beheld the boats approach the shore, 
and a number of strange beings, clad in glittering steel, 
or raiment of various colours, landing upon the beach, 
they fled in affright to their woods. Finding, however, 
that there was no attempt to pursue or molest them, they 
gradually recovered from their terror, and approached 
the Spaniards with great awe, frequently prostrating 
themselves, and making signs of adoration. During the 
ceremony of taking possession, they remained gazing, in 
timid admiration, at the complexion, th« beards, the 



OF COLUMBUS. 76 

shining armour, and splendid dress of the Spaniards, 
The admiral particularly attracted their attention, from, 
his commanding height, his air of authority, his scarlet 
dress, and the deference paid to him by his companions ; 
all which pointed him out to be the commander. When 
they had still further recovered from their fears, they ap- 
proached the Spaniards, touched their beards, and exa- 
mined their hands and faces, admiring their whiteness. 
Columbus, pleased with their simplicity, their gentleness, 
and the confidence they reposed in beings who must 
have appeared so strange and formidable, submitted to 
their scrutiny with perfect acquiescence. The wonder- 
ing savages were won by this benignity ; they now sup- 
posed that the ships had sailed out of the crystal firma- 
ment which bounded their horizon, or that they had de- 
scended from above, on their ample wings, and that these 
marvellous beings were inhabitants of the skies. 

The natives of the island were no less objects of curi- 
osity to the Spaniards, differing, as they did, from any 
race of men they had ever seen. They were entirely 
naked, and painted with a variety of colours and devices, 
so as to have a wild and fantastic appearance. Their 
natural complexion was of a tawny, or copper hue, and 
they were entirely destitute of beards. Their hair was 
not crisped, like the recently discovered tribes of Africa, 
under the same latitude, but straight and coarse, partly 
cut above the ears, but some locks behind left long, and 
falling upon their shoulders. Their features, though 
disfigured by paint, were agreeable ; they had lofty fore- 
heads, and remarkably fine eyes. They were of mode- 
rate stature, and well shaped ; most of them appeared to 
be under thirty years of age. There was but one female 
with them, quite young, naked like her companions, and 



76 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

beautifully formed. They appeared to be a simple and 
artless people, and of gentle and friendly dispositions. 
Their only arms were lances, hardened at the end by 
fire, or pointed with a flint or the bone of a fish. There 
was no iron to be seen among them, nor did they know 
its properties, for when a drawn sword was presented to 
them, they unguardedly took it by the edge. Columbus 
distributed among them coloured caps, glass beads, hawk's 
bells, and other trifles, which they received as inestimable 
gifts, and, decorating themselves with them, were won- 
derfully delighted with their finery. 

As Columbus supposed himself to have landed on an 
island at the extremity of India, he called the natives by 
the general appellation of Indians, which was universal- 
Jy adopted before the nature of his discovery was known, 
and has since been extended to all the aboriginals of 
,the new world. The Spaniards remained all day on 
shore, refreshing themselves, after their anxious voyage, 
amidst the beautiful groves of the island, and they re- 
turned to their ships late in the evening, delighted with 
all they had seen. 

1 The island where Columbus had thus, for the first 
time, set his foot upon the new world, is one of the Lu- 
cayos, or Bahama Islands, and was called by the natives 
Guanahani ; it still retains the name of San Salvador, 
which he gave it, though called by the English, Cat 
Island. The light which he had seen the evening pre- 
vious to his making land, may have been on Watling's 
Island, which lies a few leagues to the east. 

On the following morning, at day break, some of the 
natives came swimming off to the ships, and others came 
in light barks, which they called canoes, formed of a sin- 
gle tree, hollowed, and capable of holding from one maa 



OF COLUMBUS. 77 

to the number of forty or fifty. The Spaniards soon dis- 
covered that they were destitute of wealth, and had little 
to offer, in return for trinkets, except balls of cotton 
yarn, and domesticated parrots. They brought cakes of 
a kind of bread called cassava, made from the yuca root, 
which constituted a principal part of their food. 

The avarice of the discoverers was awakened by per- 
ceiving small ornaments of gold in the noses of some of 
the natives. On being asked where this precious metal 
was procured, they answered by signs, pointing to the 
south, and Columbus understood them to say, that a king 
resided in that quarter, of such wealth that he was served 
in great vessels of gold. He interpreted all their imper- 
fect communications according to his previous ideas and 
his cherished wishes. They spoke of a warlike people, 
who often invaded their islands from the northwest, and 
carried off the inhabitants. These he concluded to be 
the people of the main land of Asia, subjects to the Grand 
Khan, who, according to Marco Polo, were accustomed 
to make war upon the islands, and make slaves of the 
natives. The rich country to the south could be no 
other than the island of Cipango, and the king who was 
served out of golden vessels, must be the monarch whose 
magnificent palace was said to be covered with plates of 
gold. 

Having explored the island of Guanahani, and taken 
in a supply of wood and water, Columbus set sail in 
quest of the opulent country to the south, taking seven 
©f the natives with him, to acquire the Spanish language, 
and serve as interpreters and guides. 

He now beheld a number of beautiful islands, green, 
level, and fertile, and the Indians intimated by signs, that 
tliey were innumerable ; he supposed them to be a part 

7* 



78 THE LIFE. AND VOYAGES 

of the great archipelago described by Marco Polo as 
stretching along the coast of Asia, and abounding with 
spices and odoriferous trees. He visited three of them, 
to which he gave the names of Santa Maria de la Con- 
cepcio'n, Fernandina, and Isabella. The inhabitants 
gave the same proofs as those of San Salvador of being 
totally unaccustomed to the sight of civilized man. They 
regarded the Spaniards as superhuman beings, approach- 
ed them with propitiatory offerings, of whatever their 
poverty, or rather their simple and natural mode of life, 
afforded ; the fruits of their fields and groves, their cot- 
ton yarn, and their domesticated parrots. When the 
Spaniards landed in search of water, they took them to 
the coolest springs, the sweetest and freshest runs, filling 
their casks, rolling them to the boats, and seeking in 
every way to gratify their celestial visitors. 

Columbus was enchanted by the lovely scenery of some 
of these islands. " I know not," says he, " where first to 
go, nor are my eyes ever weary of gazing on the beau- 
tiful verdure.. The singing of the birds is such, that, 
it seems as if one would never desire to depart 
hence. There are flocks of parrots that obscure the 
sun, and other birds of many kinds, large and small, en- 
tirely different from ours. Trees, also, of a thousand 
species, each having its particular fruit, and all of mar- 
vellous flavour. I believe there are many herbs and 
trees, which would be of great value in Spain for tinc- 
tures, medicines, and spices, but I know nothing of them, 
which gives me great vexation." 

The fish which abounded in these seas, partook of the 
novelty which characterized most of the objects in this 
new world. They rivalled the birds in the tropical 
brilliancy of their colours, the scales of some of them 



OF COLUMBUS* 79 

glanced back the rays of light like precious stones, and 
as they sported about the ships, they flashed gleams of 
gold and silver through the crystal waves. 

Columbus was disappointed in his hopes of finding 
any gold or spices in these islands ; but the natives con- 
tinued to point to the south, as the region of wealth, 
and began to speak of an island in that direction, called, 
Cuba, which, the Spaniards understood them to say, 
abounded in gold, pearls, and spices, carried on an exten- ' 
sive commerce, and that large merchant ships came to 
trade with the inhabitants. Columbus concluded this to 
be the desired Cipango, and the merchant ships to be 
those of the Grand Khan. He set sail in search of it, 
and after being delayed for several days, by contrary 
winds and calms among the small islands of the Bahama 
bank and channel, he arrived in sight of it, on the 28th 
of October. 

As he approached this noble island, he was struck with 
its magnitude, the grandeur of its mountains, its fertile 
valleys and long sweeping plains, covered by stately 
forests, and watered by uoble rivers. He anchored in a 
beautiful river to the west of Nuevitas del Principe, and 
taking formal possession* of the island, gave it the name 
of Juana, in honour of Prince Juan, and to the river 
the name of San Salvador. 

Columbus spent several days coasting this part of the 
Island, and exploring the fine harbours and rivers with 
which it abounds. From his continual remarks in his 
journal on the beauty of the scenery, and from the plea- 
sure which he evidently derived from rural sounds and 
objects, he appears to have been extremely open to those 
delicious influences, exercised over some spirits by the 
graces and wonders of nature. He was in fact in a 



80 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

mood to see every thing through a fond and favouring 
medium, for he was enjoying the fulfilment of his hopes, 
the hard earned but glorious reward of his toils and 
perils, and it is difficult to conceive the rapturous state 
of his feelings, while thus exploring the charms of a 
virgin world, won by his enterprise and valour. 

In the sweet smell of the woods, and the odour of the 
flowers, he fancied he perceived the fragrance of oriental 
spices, and along the shores he found, shells of the 
oyster which produces pearls. He frequently deceived 
iiimself, in fancying that he heard the song of the night- 
ingale, a bird unknown in these countries. From the 
grass growing to the very edge of the water, he inferred 
the peacefulness of the ocean which bathes these islands, 
never lashing the shores with angry surges. Ever since 
his arrival among these Antilles, he had experienced 
nothing but soft and gentle weather, and he concluded 
that a perpetual serenity reigned over these seas, little 
suspicious of the occasional bursts of fury to which they 
are liable, and to the tremendous hurricanes which rend 
and devastate the face of nature. 

While coasting the island, he landed occasionally and 
visited the villages, the inhabitants of w^hich fled to the 
woods and mountains. The houses were constructed 
of branches of palm trees, in the shape of pavilions, 
and were scattered under the spreading trees, like tents 
in a camp. They were better built than those he had 
hitherto visited, and extremely clean. . He found in them 
rude images, and wooden masks, carved with considera- 
ble ingenuity. Finding implements for fishing in all 
the cabins, he concluded that the coasts were inhabited 
merely by fishermen, who supplied the cities in the 
interior. 



OF COLUMBUS. 81 

After coasting to the northwest for some distance, Co- 
lumbus came in sight of a great headland, to which, 
from the groves which covered it, he gave the name of 
the Cape of Palms. Here he learnt that behind this 
bay there was a river, from whence it was but four days 
journey to Cubanacan. By this name the natives desig- 
nated a province in the centre of Cuba ; nacan, in their 
language, signifying the midst. Columbus fancied, how- 
ever, that they were talking of Cublay Khan, the Tartar 
sovereign, and understood them to say that Cuba was 
not an island, but terra firma. He concluded that this 
must be a part of the mainland of Asia, and that he 
could be at no great distance from Mangi and Cathay, 
the ultimate destination of his voyage. The prince said 
to reign over the neighbouring country might be some 
oriental potentate of consequence; he determined, there- 
fore, to send a present to him, and one of his letters of 
recommendation from the Castilian sovereigns. For 
this purpose he chose two Spaniards, one of whom was 
a converted Jew, and knew Hebrew, Chaldaic, and a little 
Arabic, one or other of which languages, it was thought, 
must be known to this oriental prince. Two Indians 
were sent with them as guides ; they were furnished 
with strings of beads, and various trinkets, for their tra- 
velling expenses, and enjoined to inform themselves ac- 
curately concerning the situation of certain provinces, 
ports, and rivers of Asia, and to ascertain whether drugs 
and spices abounded in the country. The ambassadors 
penetrated twelve leagues into the interior, when they 
came to a village of fifty houses, and at least a thousand 
inhabitants. They were received with great kindness, 
conducted to the principal house, and provisions placed 
before them, after which the Indians seated themselves 



83 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

on the ground around their visitors, and waited to hear 
what they had to communicate. 

The Israelite found his Hebrew, Chaldaic, and Arabic 
of no avail, and the Lucayan interpreter had to be the 
orator. He made a regular speech after the Indian man- 
ner, extolling the power, wealth, and munificence of the 
white men. When he had finished, the Indians crowded 
round, the Spaniards, touched and examined their skin 
and raiment, and kissed their hands and feet in token 
of adoration. There was no appearance of gold, or any- 
other article of great value, among them ; and when they 
were shown specimens of various spices, they said there 
was nothing of the kind to be found in the neighbour- 
hood, but far off to the southwest. 

r Finding no traces of the city and court they had an- 
ticipated, the envoys returned to their ships ; on the way 
back they beheld several of the natives going about with 
firebrands in their hands, and certain dried herbs which 
they rolled up in a leaf, and lighting one end put the 
other in their mouths, and continued inhaling and puffing 
out the smoke. A roll of this kind they called a tobacco; 
a name since transferred to the weed itself. The Spa- 
niards were struck with astonishment at this singular, 
and apparently preposterous luxury, although prepared 
to meet with wonders. 

The report of the envoys put an end to many splendid 
fancies of Columbus, about this barbaric prince and his 
capital ; all that they had seen betokened a primitive and 
simple state of society; the country, though fertile and 
beautiful, was wild, and but slightly and rudely cultivated; 
the people were evidently strangers to civilized man, nor 
could they hear of any inland city, superior to the one 
they had visited. 



6P COLUMBUS. 83 

As fast as one illusion passed away, however, another 
Bucceeded. Columbus now understood from the siffns 
of the Indians, that there was a country to the eastward 
where the people collected gold along the river banks by 
torch light, and afterwards wrought it into bars with 
hammers. In speaking of this place, they frequently 
used the words Babeque and Bohio, which he supposed 
to be the names of islands or provinces. As the season 
was advancing, and the cool nights gave hints of ap- 
proaching winter, he resolved not to proceed further to 
the north, and turning eastward, sailed in quest of Ba- 
beque, which he trusted might prove some rich and 
civilized island. 

After running along the coast for two or three days, 
and passing a great cape to which he gave the name of 
Cape Cuba, he. stood out to sea in the direction pointed 
out by the Indians. The wind, however, came directly 
ahead, and after various ineffectual attempts he had to 
return to Cuba. What gave him great uneasiness was, 
that the Pinta, commanded by Martin Alonzo Pinzon, 
parted company with him during this attempt. She was 
the best sailer, and had worked considerably to wind- 
ward of the other ships. Pinzon paid no attention to 
the signals of Columbus to turn back, though they were 
repeated at night by lights at the masthead ; when morn- 
ing dawned, the Pinta was no longer to be seen. 

Columbus considered this a wilful desertion, and wlas 
much troubled and perplexed by it. Martin Alonzo had 
for some time shown impatience at the domination of 
the admiral. He was a veteran navigator, of great abili- 
ties, and accustomed from, his wealth and standing to give 
the law among his nautical associates. He had furnished 
two of the ships, and much of the funds for the expedi- 



84 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

tion, and thought himself entitled to an equal sliare in 
the command: several disputes, therefore, had occurred 
between him and the admiral. Columbus feared he might 
have departed to make an independent cruise, or might 
have the intention to hasten back to Spain, and claim the 
merit of the discovery. These thoughts distracted his 
mind, and embarrassed him in the farther prosecution of 
his discoveries. 

For several days he continued exploring the coast of 
Cuba, until he reached the eastern end, and to which, from 
supposing it the extreme point of Asia, he gave the 
name of Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. 
While steering at large beyond this Cape, undetermined 
which course to take, he descried high mountains tower- 
ing above the clear horizon to the southeast, and giving 
evidence of an island of great extent. He immediately 
stood for it to the great consternation of his Indian 
guides, who assured him by signs that the inhabitants 
had but one eye, and were fierce and cruel cannibals. 

In the transparent atmosphere of the tropics, objects 
are descried at a great distance, and the purity of the 
air and serenity of the deep blue sky, give a magical 
charm to scenery. Under these advantages, the beauti- 
ful island of Hayti revealed itself to the eye as they ap- 
proached. Its mountains were higher and more rocky 
than those of the other islands, but the rocks rose from 
among rich forests. The mountains swept down into 
luxuriant plains and green savannahs, while the appear-' 
ance of cultivated fields, with the numerous fires at 
night, and the columns of smoke which rose in various 
parts by day, all showed it to be populous. It rose be- 
fore them in all the splendour of tropical vegetation, 



OF COLUMBUS. 85 

one of the most beautiful islands in the world, and doom- 
ed to be one of the most unfortunate. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Coasting of Hispaniola — Shipwreck, and other occur- 
rences at the Island. [1492.] 

On the evening of the 6th of December, Columbus 
entered a harbour at the western end of the island, to 
which he gave the name of St. Nicholas, by which it is 
called at the present day. Not being able to meet with 
any of the inhabitants, who had lEled from their dwellings, 
he coasted along the northern side of the island to ano- 
ther harbour, which he called Conception. Here the 
sailors caught several kinds of fish similar to those of 
their own country ; they heard also the notes of a bird 
which sings in the night, and which they mistook for the 
nightingale, and they fancied the features of the surround- 
ing country resembled those of the more beautiful pro- 
vinces of Spain : in consequence of this idea, the admiral 
named the island Espafiola, or, as it is commonly written, 
Hispaniola. After various ineffectual attempts to obtain a 
communication with the natives, three sailors succeeded 
in overtaking a young and handsome female, who was 
flying from them, and brought their wild beauty in 
triumph to the ships. She was treated with the greatest 
kindness, and dismissed finely clothed, and loaded with 
presents of beads, hawk's bells, and other baubles. 
Confident of the favourable impression her account of 
her treatment, and the sight of her presents, must pro- 

8 



86 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

duce, Columbus, on the following day, sent nine men, well 
armed, to seekher village, accompanied by a native of Cuba 
as an interpreter. The village was situated in a fine valley, 
on the banks of a beautiful river, and contained about a 
thousand houses. The natives fled at first, but being re- 
assured by the interpreter, they came back to the number 
of two thousand, and approached the Spaniards with awe 
and trembling, often pausing and putting their hands 
upon their heads in token of reverence and submission. 

The female also, who had been entertained on board ' 
of the ships, came borne in triumph on the shoulders of 
some of her countrymen, followed by a multitude, and 
preceded by her husband, who was full of gratitude 
for the kindness with which she had been treated. Hav- 
ing reco veered from their fears, the natives conducted 
the Spaniards to their houses, and set before them cassa- 
va bread, fish, roots, and fruits of various kind ; offering 
them freely whatever they possessed, for a frank hospi- 
tality reigned throughout the island, where as yet the 
passion of avarice was unknown. 

The Spaniards returned to the vessels enraptured with 
the beauty of the country, surpassing, as they said, even 
the luxuriant valley of Cordova ; all that they complain- 
ed of was, that they saw no signs of riches among the 
natives. 

Continuing along the coast, Columbus had farther in- 
tercourse with the natives, some of whom had ornaments 
of gold, which they readily exchanged for the merest 
trifle of European manufacture. At one of the harbours 
where he was detained by contrary winds, he was visited 
by a young cacique, apparently of great importance, who 
came borne on a litter by four men, and attended by two 
hundred of his subjects. He entered the cabin where 



OF COLUMBUS. Sf 

Columbus was dining, and took his seat beside him, with 
a frank unembarrassed air, while two old men, who were 
his counsellors, seated themselves at his feet, watching 
his lips, as if to catch and communicate his ideas. If any- 
thing were given him to eat, he merely tasted it, and sent 
it to his followers, maintaining an air of great gravity and 
dignity. After dinner, he presented the admiral with a 
belt curiously wrought, and two pieces of gold. Colum- 
bus made him various presents in return ; he showed him 
a coin bearing the likenesses of Ferdinand and Isabella, 
and endeavoured to give him an idea of the power and 
grandeur of those sovereigns. The cacique, however, 
could not be made to believe that there was a region on 
earth which produced such wonderful people and wonder- 
ful things, but persisted in the idea that the Spaniards 
were more than mortal, and that the country and sove- 
reigns they spoke of, must exist somewhere in the skies. 
On the 20th of December, Columbus anchored in a fine 
harbour, to which he gave the name of St. Thomas, sup- 
posed to be what at present is called the Bay of Acul. 
Here a large canoe visited the ships, bringing messengers 
from a grand cacique named Guacanagari, who resided on 
the coast a little farther to the eastward, and reigned over 
all that part of the island. The messengers bore a present 
of a broad belt, wrought ingeniously with coloured beads 
and bones, and a wooden mask, the eyes, nose and tongue 
of which were of gold. They invited Columbus, in the 
name of the cacique, to come with his ships opposite to 
the village where he resided. Adverse winds prevented 
an immediate compliance with this invitation ; he there- 
fore sent a boat well armed, with the notary of the squad- 
ron, to visit the chieftain. The latter returned with so 
favourable an account of the appearance of the village, and 



88 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the hospitality of the cacique, that Columbus determined io 
set sail for his residence as soon as the wind would permit. 
Early in the morning of the ^th of December, there- 
fore, he weighed anchor, with a light wind that scarcely 
filled the sails. By eleven o'clock at night, he was 
within a league and a half of the residence of the cacique ; 
the sea was calm and smooth, and the ship almost mo- 
tionless. The admiral having had no sleep the preceding 
night, retired to take a little repose. No sooner had he 
left the deck, than the steersman gave the helm in charge 
to one of the ship boys, and went to sleep. This was in 
direct violation of an invariable order of the admiral, 
never to intrust the helm to the boys. The rest of the 
mariners who had the watch, took like advantage of the 
absence of Columbus, and in a little while the whole crew 
was buried in sleep. While this security reigned over 
the ship, the treacherous currents, which run swiftly 
along this coast, carried her smoothly, but with great 
violence, upon a sand bank. The heedless boy, feeling 
the rudder strike, and hearing the rushing of the sea, 
cried out for aid. Columbus was the first to take the 
alarm, and was soon followed by the master of the ship, 
whose duty it was to have been on watch, and by his de- 
linquent companions. The admiral ordered them to 
carry out an anchor astern, that they might warp the 
vessel off. They sprang into the boat, but being confused 
and seized with a panic, as men are apt to be when sud- 
denly awakened by an alarm, instead of obeying the com- 
mands of Columbus, they rowed off to the other caraval. 
Vincente Yanez Pinzon, who commanded the latter, re- 
proached them with their pusillanimity, and refused to 
admit them on board ; and, manning his boat, he hastened 
to the assistance of the admiral. 



OF COLUMBUS. 



89 



In the mean time, the ship swinging across the stream, 
had been set more and more upon the bank. Efforts 
were made to Hghten her, by cutting away the mast, but 
in vain. The keel was firmly bedded in the sand ; the 
seams opened, and the breakers beat against her, until 
she fell over on one side. Fortunately, the weather con- 
tinued calm, otherwise both ship and crew must have 
perished. The admiral abandoned the wreck, and took 
refuge, with his men, on board of the caraval. He lay 
to until day light, sending messengers on shore to inform 
the Cacique Guacanagari of his disastrous shipwreck. 

"When the chieftain heard of the misfortune of his 
guest, he was so much afflicted as to shed tears ; and 
never, in civilized country, were the vaunted rites of hos- 
pitality more scrupulously observed, than by this uncul- 
tured savage. He assembled his people, and sent off all 
his canoes to the assistance of the admiral, assuring him, 
at the same time, that every thing he possessed was at 
his service. The effects were landed from the wreck, 
and deposited near the dwelling of the cacique, and a 
guard set over them, until houses could be prepared, in 
which they could be stored. There seemed, however, no 
disposition among the natives to take advantage of the 
misfortune of the strangers, pr to plunder the treasures 
thus cast upon their shores, though they must have been 
inestimable in their eyes. Even in transporting the ef- 
fects from • the ships, they did not attempt to pilfer or 
conceal the most trifling article. On the contrary, they 
manifested as deep a concern at the disaster of the Span- 
iards, as if it had happened to themselves, and their only 
study was how they could administer relief and consola- 
tion. Columbus was greatly affected by this unexpected 
goodness. " These people," said he, in his journal, in- 

8* 



90 . THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

tended for the perusal of the sovereigns, " love their 
neighbours as themselves, their discourse is ever sweet 
and gentle, and accompanied by a smile. I swear to 
your majesties, there is not in the world a better nation 
or a better land." 

When the cacique first met with Columbus, he was 
much moved at beholding his dejection, and again offered 
him every thing he possessed that could be of service to 
him. He invited him on shore, where a banquet was 
prepared for his entertainment, consisting of various 
kinds of fish and fruit, and an animal called Utia by the 
natives, which resembled a coney. After the collation, 
he conducted Columbus to the beautiful groves which 
surrounded his residence, where upwards of a thousand 
of the natives were assembled, all perfectly naked, who 
performed several of their national games and dances. 
Thus did this generous cacique try, by every means in 
his power, to cheer the melancholy of his guest, showing 
a warmth of sympathy, a delicacy of attention, and an 
innate dignity and refinement, which could not have been 
expected from one in his savage state. He was treated 
with great deference by his subjects, and conducted him- 
sejf towards them with a gracious and prince-like majes- 
ty. His whole deportment, in the enthusiastic eyes of 
Columbus, betokened the inborn grace and dignity of 
lofty lineage. 

When the Indians had finished their games, Columbus 
gave them an entertainment in return, calculated to im- 
press them with a formidable opinion of the military 
power of the Spaniards. A Castilian, who had served 
in the wars of Granada, exhibited his skill in shooting 
with a Moorish bow, to the great admiration of the ca- 
cique. A cannon and an arquebus were likewise dis- 



OF COLUMBUS. 91 

charged ; at the sound of which the Indians fell to the 
ground, as though they had been struck by a thunderbolt. 
When they saw the effect of the ball rending and 
shivering the trees, they were filled with dismay. On 
being told, however, that the Spaniards would protect 
them with these arms, against the invasions of their dread- 
ed enemies, the Caribs, their alarm was changed into 
confident exultation, considering themselves under the 
protection of the sons of heaven, who heid come from the 
skies, armed with thunder and lightning. The cacique 
placed a kind of coronet of gold on the head of Colum- 
bus, and hung plates of the same metal round his neck, 
and he dispensed liberal presents among his follovv ers. 
Whatever trifles Columbus gave in return, were regard- 
ed with reverence, as celestial gifts, and were said by the 
Indians to have come from Turey, or heaven. 

The extreme kindness of the cacique, the gentleness 
of his people, and the quantities of gold daily brought by 
the natives, and exchanged for trifles, contributed to con- 
sole Columbus for his misfortunes. When Guacanagari 
perceived the great value which the admiral attached to 
gold, he assured him, by signs, that there was a place, 
not far off, among the mountains, where it abounded to 
such a degree as to be regarded with indifference ; and 
he promised to procure him, from thence, as much as 
he desired. Columbus gathered many other particulars 
concerning this golden region. It was called Cibao, and 
lay among high and rugged mountains. The cacique 
who ruled over it owned many rich mines, and had ban- 
ners of wrought gold. Columbus fancied that the name 
of Cibao must be a corruption of Cipango, and flattered 
himself, that this was the very island productive of gold 
and spices, mentioned by Marco Polo. 



92 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Three houses had been given to the shipwrecked crew 
for their residence. Here, living on shore, and mingling 
freely with the natives, they became fascinated by their 
easy and idle mode of life. They were governed by 
their caciques with an absolute, but patriarchal and 
easy rule, and existed in that state of primitive and 
savage simplicity which some philosophers have fondly 
pictured as the most enviable on earth. " It is certain,'' 
says old Peter Martyr, " that the land among these peo- 
ple is as common as the sun and water ; and that ' mine 
and thine,' the seeds of all mischief, have no place with 
them.* They are content with so little, that, in so large 
a country, they have rather superfluity than scarceness ; 
so that they seem to live in a golden world, without toil, 
in open gardens, neither intrenched, nor shut up by walls 
or hedges. They deal truly with one another, without 
laws, or books, or judges." In fact, they seemed to dis- 
quiet themselves about nothing ; a few fields, cultivated 
almost without labour, furnished roots and vegetables, 
their groves were laden with delicious fruit, and the 
coast and rivers abounded with fish. Softened by the 
indulgence of nature, a great part of the day was passed 
by them in indolent repose, in that luxury of sensa- 
tion inspired by a serene sky, and voluptuous climate, 
and in the evening they danced in their fragrant groves, 
to their national songs, or the rude sound of their sylvan 
drums. 

When the Spanish mariners looked back upon their 
own toilsome and painful life, and reflected upon the 
cares and hardships that must still be their lot, should 
they return to Europe, they regarded with a wistful eye 
the easy and idle existence of these Indians, and many 
of them, representing to the admiral the difficulty and 



OF COLUMBUS. 93 

danger of embarking so many persons in one small ca- 
raval, entreated permission to remain in the island. The 
request immediately suggested to Columbus, the idea of 
forming the germ of a future colony. The wreck ot the 
caraval would furnish materials and arms for a fortress , 
and the people who should remain in the island, could 
explore it, learn the language of the natives, and collect 
gold, while the admiral returned to Spain for reinforce- 
anents. Guacanagari was overjoyed at finding that some 
of these wonderful strangers were to remain for the de- 
fence of his island, and that the admiral intended to 
revisit it. He readily gave permission to build the fort, 
and his subjects eagerly aided in its construction, little 
dreaming that they were assisting to place on their necks 
the galling yoke of perpetual and toilsome slavery. 

While thus employed, a report was brought to* Colum- 
bus, by certain Indians, that another ship was at anchor in 
a river at the eastern end of the island ; he concluded 
it of course to be the Pinta, and immediately dispatched 
a canoe in quest of it, with a letter for Pinzon, urging 
him to rejoin him immediately. The canoe coasted the 
island for thirty leagues, but returned without having 
heard or seen any thing of the Pinta, and all the anxiety 
of the admiral was revived ; should that vessel be lost, the 
whole success of his expedition would depend on the 
return of his own crazy bark, across an immense expanse 
of ocean, where the least accident might bury it in the 
deep, and with it all record of his discovery. He dared 
not therefore prolong his voyage, and explore those 
magnificent regions, which seemed to invite on every 
hand, but determined to return immediately to Spain. 

So great was thfe activity of the Spaniards, and the 
(assistance of the natives, that in ten days the fortress 



94 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

was completed. It consisted of a strong wooden tower, 
with a vault beneath, and the whole surrounded by a 
wide ditch. It was supplied with the ammunition, and 
mounted with the cannon saved from the wreck, and was 
considered sufficient to overawe and repulse the whole 
of this naked and unwarlike people. Columbus gave 
the fortress and harbour the name of La Navidad, or the 
Nativity, in memorial of having been preserved from 
the wreck of his ship on Christmas day. From the 
number of volunteers that offered to remain, he selected 
thirty-nine of the most trust worthy, putting them 
under the command of Diego de Arana, notary and 
alguazil of the armament. In case of his death, Pedro 
Gutierrez was to take the command, and he, in like case, 
to be succeeded by Rodrigo de Escobido. He charged 
the men, in the most emphatic manner, to be obedient to 
their commanders, respectful to Guacanagari and his chief- 
tains, and circumspect and friendly in their intercourse 
with the natives. He warned them not to scatter them- 
selves asunder, as their safety would depend upon their 
united force, and not to stray beyond the territory of the 
friendly cacique. He enjoined it upon Arana, and the 
other commanders, to employ themselves in gaining a 
knowledge of the island, in amassing gold and spices, and 
in searching for a more safe and convenient harbour for 
that settlement. 

Before his departure, he gave the natives another mili- 
tary exhibition, to 'increase their awe of the prowess of 
the white men. The Spaniards performed skirmishes, 
and mock fights, with swords, bucklers, lances, cross- 
bows, and fire arms. The Indians were astonished at 
the keenness of the steeled weapons, and the deadly 
power of the cross bows and muskets; but nothing 



OF COLUMBUS. 95 

equalled their awe and admiration, when the cannon 
were discharged from the fortress, wrapping it in smoke, 
shaking the forests with their thunder, and shivering the 
stoutest trees. 

When Columbus took leave of Guacanagari, the kind 
hearted cacique shed many tears, for, while he had been 
awed by the dignified demeanour of the admiral, and 
the idea of his superhuman nature, he had been com- 
pletely won by the benignity of his manners. The sea- 
men too had made many pleasant connexions among the 
Indians, and they parted with mutual regret. The sorest 
parting, however, was with their comrades, who re- 
mained behind, from that habitual attachment formed 
by a companionship in perils and adventures. When the 
signal gun was fired, they gave a parting cheer to the 
gallant handful of volunteers thus left in the wilderness 
of an unknown world, who echoed their cheering as they 
gazed wistfully after them from the beach, but who were 
destined never to welcome their return. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Return Voyage. Violent Stor7ns. Arrival at Portugal. 
[1493.] 

It was on the 4th of January that Columbus set sail 
from La Navidad on his return to Spain. On the 6th, as 
he was beating along the coast, with a head wind, a sailor 
at the mast head cried out that there was a sail at a dis- 
tance, standing towards them. To their great joy it 
proved to be the Pinta, which came sweeping before the 



96 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

wind with flowing canvas. On joining the admiral, 
Pinzon endeavoured to excuse his desertion, by saying 
that he had been separated from him by stress of 
weather, and had ever since been seeking him. Colum- 
bus listened passively but incredulously to these excuses, 
avoiding any words that might produce altercations, and 
disturb the remainder of the voyage. He ascertained, 
afterwards, that Pinzon had parted company intentional- 
ly, and had steered directly east, in quest of a region 
where the Indians on board of his vessel had assured 
him he would find gold in abundance. They had guided 
him to Hispaniola, where he had been for some time in 
a river about fifteen leagues east of La Navidad, trading 
with the natives. He had collected a large quantity of 
gold, one half of which he retained as captain, the rest 
he divided among his men, to secure their secresy and 
fidelity. On leaving the river, he had carried off four 
Indian men and two girls, to be sold in Spain. 

Columbus sailed for this river, to which he gave the 
name of Rio de Gracia, but it long continued to be 
known as the river of Martin Alonzo. Here he ordered 
the four men and two girls to be dismissed, well clothed, 
and with many presents, to atone for the wrong they had 
experienced, and to allay the hostile feeling it might 
have caused among the natives. This restitution was 
not made without great unwillingness, and many angry 
words, on the part of Pinzon. 

After standing for some distance further along the 
coast, they anchored in a vast bay, or rather gulf, three 
leagues in breadth, and extending so far inland that 
Columbus at first supposed it to be an arm of the sea. 
Here he was visited by the people of the mountains of 
Ciguay, a hardy and warlike race, quite different from 



OF COLUMBUS. 97 

the gentle and peaceful people they had hitherto met 
with on this island. They were of fierce aspect, and 
hideously painted, and their heads were decorated with 
feathers. They had bows and arrows, war clubs, and 
swords made of palm wood, so hard and heavy that a 
blow from them would cleave through a helmet to the 
very brain. At first sight of these ferocious looking 
people, Columbus supposed them to be the Caribs, so 
much dreaded throughout these seas, but on asking for the 
Carribian Islands the Indians still pointed to the eastward. 
With these people the Spaniards had a skirmish, in 
which several of the Indians were slain. This was the 
first contest they had had with the inhabitants of the new 
world, and the first time that native blood had been shed 
by white men. From this skirmish Columbus called the 
place El Golfo de las Fleches, or the gulf of Arrows ; 
but it is now known by the name of the gulf of Samana. 
He lamented that all his exertions to maintain an ami- 
cable intercourse had been inefl^ectual, and anticipated 
further hostility on the part of the natives; but on the 
following day they approached the Spaniards as freely 
and confidently as if nothing had happened; the cacique 
came on board with only three attendants, and through- 
out all their subsequent dealings they betrayed no signs 
of lurking fear or enmity. This frank and confiding 
conduct, so indicative of a brave and generous nature 
was properly appreciated by Columbus: he entertained 
tlie cacique with great distinction, and at parting made 
many presents to him and his attendants. This cacique 
of Ciguay was named Mayonabex, and in subsequent 
events of this history, will be found to acquit himself 
with valour and magnanimity, under the most trying 
circumstances. 

9 



yo THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Columbus, on leaving the bay, took four young Indians 
to guide him to the Carribian Islands, situated to the east, 
of which they gave him very interesting accounts, as well 
as of the island of Mantinino, said to be inhabited by 
Amazons. A favourable breeze sprang up, however, for 
the voyage homewards, and, seeing gloom and impatience 
in the countenances of his men, at the idea of diverging 
from their route, he gave up his intention of visiting these 
islands for the present, and made all sail for Spain. 

The trade-winds which had been so propitious on the 
outward voyage, were equally adverse to a return. The 
favourable breeze soon died away ; light winds from the 
east, and frequent calms, succeeded, but they had intervals 
of favourable weather, and by the 12th of February they 
had made such progress as to begin to flatter themselves 
with the hopes of soon beholding land. The wind now 
came on to blow violently ; on the following evening 
there were three flashes of lightning in the north north 
east, from which signs Columbus predicted an approach- 
ing tempest. It soon burst upon them with frightful 
violence ; their small and crazy vessels were little fitted 
for the wild storms of the Atlantic; all night they were 
obliged to scud under bare poles at the mercy of the 
elements. As the morning dawned, there was a transient 
pause, and they made a little sail, but the wind rose with 
redoubled fury from the south, and increased in the 
night, the vessels labouring terribly in a cross sea which 
threatened at each moment to overwhelm them, or dash 
them to pieces. The tempest still augmenting, they were 
obliged again to scud before the wind. The admiral 
made signal lights for the Pinta to keep in company ; 
for some time she replied by similar signals, but she was 
separated by the violence of the storm ; her lights gleam- 



OF COLUMBUS. 



ed more and more distant, until they ceased entirely. 
"When the day dawned, the sea presented a frightful 
waste of wild broken waves, lashed into fury by the 
gale; Columbus looked round anxiously for the Pinta, 
but she was no where to be seen. 

Throughout a dreary day the helpless bark was driven 
along by the tempest. Seeing all human skill baffled 
and confounded, Columbus endeavoured to propitiate 
heaven by solemn vows. Lots were cast to perform 
pilgrimages and penitences, most of which fell upon Co- 
lumbus ; among other things, he was to perform a solemn 
mass, and to watch and pray all night in the chapel of the 
convent of Santa Clara, at Moguer. Various private 
vows were made by the seamen, and one by the admiral 
and the whole crew, that, if they were spared to reach 
the land, they would walk in procession, barefooted, and 
in their shirts, to offer up thanksgivings in some church 
dedicated to the virgin. 

The heavens, however, seemed deaf to all their vows; 
the storm grew still more furious, and every one gave 
himself up for lost. During this long and awful con- 
flict of the elements, the mind of Columbus was a prey 
to the most distressing anxiety. He was harrassed by 
the repinings of his crew, who cursed the hour of their 
leaving their country, and their want of resolution in not 
compelling him to abandon the voyage. He was afflict- 
ed, also, when he thought of his two sons, who would be 
left destitute by his death. But he had another source of 
distress, more intolerable than death itself. It was high- 
ly probable that the Pinta had foundered in the storm. 
In such case, the history of his discovery would* depend 
upon his own feeble bark ; one surge of the ocean might 
bury it forever in oblivion, and his name only remain as 



100 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

that of a desperate adventurer, who had perished in pur- 
suit of a chimera. 

In the midst of these gloomy reflections, an expedient 
suggested itself, by which, though he and his ships might 
perish, the glory of his achievements might survive to his 
name, and its advantages be secured to his sovereigns. 
He wrote on parchment a brief account of his discovery, 
and of his having taken possession of the newly found 
lands in the name of their catholic majesties. This he 
sealed and directed to the king and queen, and super- 
scribed a promise of a thousand ducats to whomsoever 
should deliver the packet unopened. He then wrapped 
it in a waxed cloth, which he placed in the centre of a 
cake of wax, and enclosing the Avhole in a cask, threw it 
into the sea. A copy of this memorial he enclosed, in a 
similar manner, and placed it upon the poop of his vessel, 
so that, should the caraval sink, the cask might float oif 
and survive. 

Happily, these precautions, though wise, were super- 
fluous ; at sunset, there was a streak of clear sky in the 
west, the wind shifted to that quarter, and on the morn- 
ing of the 15th of February, they came in sight of land. 
The transports of the crew at once more beholding the 
old world, were almost equal to those they had expe- 
rienced on discovering the new. For two or three days, 
however, the wind again became contrary, and they re- 
mained hovering in sight of land, of which they only 
caught glimpses, through the mist and rack. At length 
they came to anchor, at the island of St. Mary's, the 
most southern of the Azores, and a possession of the 
crown of Portugal. An ungenerous reception, however, 
awaited the poor tempest-tossed mariners, on their re- 
turn to the abode of civilized man, far different from the 



OF COLUMBUS. 101 

kindness and hospitality they had experienced among 
the savages of the new world. Cokimbus had sent one 
half of the crew on shore, to fulfil the vow of a barefooted 
procession to a hermitage or chapel of the virgin, which 
stood on a solitary part of the coast, and awaited their 
return to perform the same ceremony with the remainder 
of his crew. Scarcely had they began their prayers and 
thanksgiving, when a. party of horse and foot, headed by 
the governor of the island, surrounded the hermitage and 
took them all prisoners. The real object of this outrage 
was to get possession of the person of Columbus ; for 
the king of Portugal, jealous lest his enterprise might 
interfere with his own discoveries, had sent orders to 
his commanders of islands and distant ports, to seize and 
detain him wherever he should be met with. 

Having failed in this open attempt, the governor next 
endeavoured to get Columbus in his power by stratagem, 
bwt was equally unsuccessful. A violent altercation took 
place between them, and Columbus threatened him with 
the vengeance of his sovereigns. At length, after two or 
three days detention, the sailors who had been captured 
in the chapel were released ; the governor pretended to 
have acted through doubts of Columbus having a regular 
commission, but that being now convinced of his being 
in the service of the Spanish sovereigns, he was ready to 
yield him every service in his power. The admiral did 
not put his offers to the proof. The wind became fa- 
vourable for the continuation of his voyage, and he again 
set sail on the 24th of February. After two or three days 
of pleasant sailing, there was a renewal of tempestuous 
weather. About midnight of the 2d of March, the cara- 
val was struck by a squall, which rent all her sails, and 
threatened instant destruction. The crew were again 

9* 



103 ' THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

reduced to despair, and made vows of fastings and pil- 
grimages. The storm raged throughout the succeeding 
day, during which, from various signs, they considered 
themselves in the vicinity of land, which they supposed 
must be the coast of Portugal. The turbulence of the 
following night was dreadful. The sea was broken, wild, 
and mountainous, the rain fell in torrents, and the light- 
ning flashed, and the thunder pealed from various parts 
of the heavens. 

In the first watch of this fearful night, the seamen gave 
the usually welcome cry of land, but it only increased 
their alarm, for they were ignorant of their situation, and 
dreaded being driven on shore, or dashed upon the 
rocks. Taking in sail, therefore, they endeavoured to 
keep to sea as much as possible. At day break on the 
4th of March, they found themselves oflf the rock of Cin- 
tra, at the mouth of the Tagus. Though distrustful of 
the good will of Portugal, Columbus had no alternative 
but to run in for shelter, and he accordingly anchored 
about three o'clock in the river, opposite to Rastello. 
The inhabitants came off from various parts of the shore, 
to congratulate him on what they deemed a miraculous 
preservation, for they had been watching the vessel the 
whole morning, with great anxiety, and putting up pray- 
ers for her safety. The oldest mariners of the place as- 
sured him, that they had never known so tempestuous a 
winter. Such were the difficulties and perils with which 
Columbus had to contend on his return to Europe : 
had one tenth part of them beset his outward voyage, his 
factious crew would have risen in arms against the en- 
terprise, and he never would have discovered the new 
world. 



OF COLUMBUS. 103 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Visit of Columbus to-the Court of Portugal, Arrival at 
Pahs,, [1493] 

Immediately on his arrival in the Tagus, Columbus 
despatched a courier to the King and Queen of Spain, 
with tidings of his discovery. He wrote also to the 
King of Portugal, entreating permission to go to Lis- 
bon with his vessel, as a report had got abroad that 
she was laden with gold, and he felt himself insecure in 
the neighbourhood of a place like Rastello, inhabited by- 
needy and adventurous people. At the same time he 
stated the route and events of his voyage, lest the king 
should suspect him of having been in the route of the 
Portuguese discoveries. 

The tidings of this wonderful bark, freighted with the 
people and productions of a newly discovered world, 
filled all Lisbon with astonishment. For several days 
the Tagus was covered with barges and boats going to 
and from it. Among the visitors were various officers of 
the crown, and cavaliers of high distinction. All hung 
with rapt attention upon the accounts of the voyage, and 
gazed with insatiable curiosity upon the plants, and ani- 
mals, and above all upon the inhabitants of the New 
"World. The enthusiasm of some, and the avarice of 
others, was excited, while many repined at the incredulity 
of the king and his councillors, by which so grand a dis- 
covery had been forever lost to Portugal. 

On the 8th of March, Columbus received a message 
from King John, congratulating him upon his arrival, and 
inviting him to the court at Valparaiso, about nine 



104 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

leagues from Lisbon. The king at the same time ordered, 
that any thing which the admiral required for himself 
or his vessel should be furnished free of cost. 

Columbus distrusted the goodfaitli of the king, and set 
out reluctantly for the court; but his reception was what 
might have been expected from an enlightened and libe- 
ral prince. On approaching the royal residence, he was 
met by the principal personages of the king's household, 
and conducted with great ceremony to the palace. The 
king welcomed him to Portugal, and congratulated him 
on the glorious result of his enterprise. He ordered him 
to seat himself in his presence, an honour only granted 
to persons of royal dignity, and assured him that every 
thing in his kingdom was at the service of his sovereigns 
and himself. They had repeated conversations about 
the events of the voyage, and the king made minute 
inquiries as to the soil, productions, and people of the 
newly discovered countries, and the routes by which Co- 
lumbus had sailed. The king listened with seeming 
pleasure to his replies, but was secretly grieved at the 
thoughts that this splendid enterprise had been offered 
to him and refused. He was uneasy, also, lest this un- 
defined discovery should in some way interfere with his 
own territories, comprehended in the papal bull, which 
granted to the crown of Portugal all the lands it should 
discover from Cape Non to the Indies. 

On suggesting these doubts to his councillors, they 
eagerly encouraged them, for some of them were the 
very persons who had scoffed at Columbus as a dreamer, 
and his success covered them with confusion. They 
declared that the colour, hair, and manners of the natives, 
brought in the caraval, agreed exactly with the descrip- 
tions given of the people of that part of India granted to 



OF COLU"MBUS. 105 

Portugal by the papal bull. Others observed that there 
was but little distance between the Tercera islands and 
those which Columbus had discovered, the latter there- 
fore clearly belonged to Portugal. Others endeavoured 
to awaken the anger of the king, by declaring that Co- 
lumbus had talked in an arrogant and vain glorious tone 
' of his discovery, merely to revenge himself upon the 
monarch for having rejected his propositions. 

Seeing the king deeply perturbed in spirit, some even 
went so far as to propose, as an effectual means of im- 
peding the prosecution of these enterprises, that Colum- 
bus should be assassinated. It would be an easy matter 
to take advantage of his lofty deportment, to pique his 
pride, provoke him to an altercation, and suddenly dis- 
patch him as if in casual and honourable encounter. 

Happily, the king had too much magnanimity to adopt 
such wicked and dastardly council. Though secretly 
grieved and mortified that the rival power of Spain 
should have won this triumph which he had rejected, 
yet he did justice to the great merit of Columbus, and 
honoured him as a distinguished benefactor to mankind. 
He felt it his duty, also, as a generous prince, to protect 
all strangers driven by adverse fortune to his ports. 
Others of his council advised that he should secretly fit 
out a powerful armament, and despatch it, under guidance 
of two Portuguese mariners who had sailed with Colum- 
bus, to take possession of the newly discovered country; he 
might then settle the question of right with Spain by 
an appeal to arms. This council, in which there was 
a mixture of courage and craft, was more relished by 
the king, and he resolved to put it promptly in execu- 
tion. 

In the mean time, Columbus, after being treated with 



106 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the most honourable attentions, was escorted back to his 
ship by a numerous train of cavaliers of the court, and on 
the way paid a visit to the queen at a monastery of San 
Antonio at Villa Franca, where he was listened to with 
wonder, as he related the events of his voyage to her 
majesty and the ladies of her court. The king had 
offered him a free passage by land to Spain, at the royal 
expense, but as the weather had moderated he preferred to 
return in his caraval. Putting to sea on the 13th of March, 
therefore, he arrived safely at Palos on the 15th, having 
taken not quite seven months and a half to accomplish 
this most momentous of all maritime enterprises. 

The triumphant return of Columbus was a prodigious 
event in the little community of Palos, every member of 
which was more or less interested in the fate of the expedi- 
tion. Many had lamented theirfriendsaslost, while imagi- 
nation had lent mysterious horrors to their fate. When, 
therefore, they beheld one of the adventurous vessels 
furling her sails in their harbour, from the discovery of a 
world, the whole community broke forth into a transport 
of joy, the bells were rung, the shops shut, and all busi- 
ness suspended. Columbus landed, and walked in pro- 
cession to the church of St. George, to return thanks to 
God for his safe arrival. Wherever he passed, the air 
rang with acclamations, and he received such honours as 
are paid to sovereigns. What a contrast was this to his 
departure a few months before, followed by murmurs and 
execrations ; or rather, what a contrast to his first arri- 
val at Palos, a poor pedestrian, craving bread and water 
for his child at the gate of a convent ! 

Understanding that the court was at Barcelona, he at 
first felt disposed to proceed there in the caraval, but, re- 
flecting on the dangers and disasters of his recent voyage, 



OF COLUMBUS. 107 

he gave up the idea, and dispatched a letter to the sove- 
reigns, informing them of his arrival. He then departed 
for Seville to await their reply. It arrived within a few- 
days, and was as gratifying as his heart could have desired. 
The sovereigns were dazzled and astonished by this sud- 
den and easy acquisition of a new empire of indefinite 
extent, and apparently boundless wealth. They addressed 
Columbus by his titles of admiral and viceroy, promising 
him still greater rewards, and urging him to repair imme- 
diately to court to concert plans for a second and more 
extensive expedition. 

It is fitting here to speak a word of the fate of Martin 
Alonzo Pinzon. By a singular coincidence, which ap- 
pears to be well authenticated, he anchored at Palos on the 
evening of the same day that Columbus had arrived. He 
had been driven by the storm into the bay of Biscay, and 
had made the port of Bayonne. Doubting whether Co- 
lumbus had survived the tempest, he had immediately 
written to the sovereigns, giving an account of the dis- 
covery, and requesting permission to come to court and 
relate the particulars in person. As soon as the weather 
was favourable, he again set sail, anticipating a trium- 
phant reception in his native port of Palos. When, on 
entering, the harbour, he beheld the vessel of the admiral 
riding at anchor, and learnt the enthusiasm with w^hich he 
had been received, his heart died within him. It is said 
he feared to meet Columbus in this hour of his triumph, 
lest he should put him under arrest for his desertion on 
the coast of Cuba ; but this is not likely, for he was a man 
of too much resolution to yield to such a fear. It is more 
probable that a consciousness of his misconduct made 
him unwilling to appear before the public in the midst of 
their enthusiasm for Columbus, and to witness the ho- 
nours heaped upon a man whose superiority he had been 



108 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

SO unwilling to acknowledge. Whatever may have been 
his motive, it is said that he landed privately in his boat, 
and kept out of sight until the departure of the admiral, 
when he returned to his home, broken in health, and 
deeply dejected, awaiting the reply of the sovereigns to 
his letter. The reply at length arrived, forbidding his 
coming to court, and severely reproaching him for his- con- 
duct. This letter completed his humiliation ; the wounds 
of his feelings gave virulence to his bodily malady, and 
in a few days he died, a victim to grief and repentance. 

Let no one, however, indulge in harsh censures over 
the grave of Pinzon. His merits and services are enti- 
tled to the highest praise ; his errors should be regarded 
with indulgence. He was one of the first in Spain to ap- 
preciate the project of Columbus, animating him by his 
concurrence, and aiding him with his purse when poor 
and unknown at Palos. He afterwards enabled him to 
procure and fit out his ships, when even the mandates of 
the sovereigns were ineffectual ; and finally he embarked 
in the expedition with his brothers and friends, staking 
life, property, every thing, upon the event. He had thus 
entitled himself to participate largely in the glory of this 
immortal enterprise, when, unfortunately, forgetting for 
a moment the grandeur of the cause, and the implicit 
obedience due to his commander, he yielded to the in- 
citements of self interest, and was guilty of that act of 
insubordination which has cast a shade upon his name. 
Much may be said, however, in extenuation of his fault : 
his consciousness of havinor rendered crreat services to the 
expedition, and of possessing property in the ships, and 
his habits of command, which rendered him impatient of 
control. That he was a man naturall)^ of generous senti- 
ments and honourable ambition is evident from the poig- 
nancy with which he felt the disgrace drawn upon him 



OF COLUMBUS. 109 

by his conduct. A mean man would not have fallen a vic- 
tim to self-upbraiding for having been convicted of a mean 
action. His story shows how one lapse from duty may 
counterbalance the merits of a thousand services ; how one 
moment of weakness may mar the beauty of a whole life 
of virtue ; and how important it is for a man, under all cir- 
cumstances, to be true, not merely to others, but to himselC 

CHAPTER XV. 

Reception of Columbus by the Spanish Sovereigns at 
Barcelona. [1493.] 

The journey of Columbus to Barcelona, was like the 
progress of a sovereign. Wherever he passed, the sur- 
rounding country poured forth its inhabitants, who lined 
the road, and thronged the villages, rending the air with 
acclamations. In the large towns, the streets, win- 
dows, and balconies, were filled with spectators, eager to 
gain a sight of him, and of the Indians whom he carried 
with him, who were regarded with as much astonishment 
as if they had been natives of another planet. 

It was about the middle of April that he arrived at Bar^ 
celona, and the beauty and serenity of the weather, in that 
genial season and favoured climate, contributed to give 
splendour to the memorable ceremony of his reception. 
As he drew near the place, many of the youthful courtiers 
and cavaliers, followed by a vast concourse of the popu- 
lace, came forth to meet him. His entrance into this 
noble city has been compared to one of those triumphs 
which the Romans were accustomed to decree to conque- 
rors. First were paraded the six Indians, painted accord- 
ing to their savage fashion, and decorated with their orna- 
ments of gold. After these were borne various kinds of live 

10 



110 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

parrots, together with stuffed birds and animals of unknown 
species, and rare plants supposed to be of precious qualities ; 
while especial care was taken to display the Indian coro- 
nets, bracelets, and other decorations of gold, which might 
give an idea of the wealth of the newly discovered regions. 
After this followed Columbus, on horseback, surrounded 
by a brilliant cavalcade of Spanish chivalry. The streets 
were almost impassable from the multitude ; the houses, 
even to the very roofs, were crowded with spectators. It 
seemed as if the public eye could not be sated with gazing 
at these trophies of an unknown world ; or on the remark- 
able man by whom it had been discovered. There was a 
sublimity in this event that mingled a solemn feeling with 
the public joy. It was considered a signal dispensation 
of providence in reward for the piety of the sovereigns ; 
and the majestic and venerable appearance of the dis- 
coverer, so different from the youth and buoyancy that 
generally accompany roving enterprise, seemed in harmo- 
ny with the grandeur and dignity of the achievement. 

To receive him with suitable distinction, the sove- 
reigns had ordered their throne to be placed in public, 
under a rich canopy of brocade of gold, where they 
awaited his arrival, seated in state, with Prince Juan be- 
side them, and surrounded by their principal nobility. 
Columbus arrived in their presence, accompanied by a 
brilliant crowd of cavaliers, among whom, we are told, 
he was conspicuous for his stately and commanding per- 
son, which, with his venerable gray hairs, gave him the 
august appearance of a senator of Rome. A modest 
smile lighted up his countenance, showing that he enjoy- 
ed the state and glory in which he came ; and certainly 
nothing could be more deeply moving to a mind inflamed 
by noble ambition, and conscious of having nobly de- 



OF COLUMBUS. HI 

served, than these testimonials of the admiration and 
gratitude of a nation, or rather of a world. On his ap- 
proach, the sovereigns rose, as if receiving a person of 
the highest rank. Bending on his knees, he would have 
kissed their hands in token of vassalage, but they raised 
him in the most gracious manner, and ordered him to 
seat himself in their presence ; a rare honour in this 
proud and punctilious court. 

He now gave an account of the most striking events 
of his voyage, and displayed the various productions 
and the native inhabitants which he had brought from 
the new world. He assured their majesties that all these 
were but harbingers of greater discoveries, which he had 
yet to make, which would add realms of incalculable 
wealth to their dominions, and whole nations of prose- 
lytes to the true faith. 

When Columbus had finished, the king and queen 
sank on their knees, raised their hands to heaven, and, 
with eyes filled with tears of joy and gratitude, poured 
forth thanks and praises to God. All present followed 
their example ; a deep and solemn enthusiasm pervaded 
that splendid assembly, and prevented all common ac- 
clamations of triumph. The anthem of Te Deum lau- 
damns, chanted by the choir of the royal chapel, with 
the melodious accompaniments of instruments, rose up 
from the midst in a full body of harmony, bearing up, 
as it were, the feelings and thoughts of the auditors to 
heaven. Such was the solemn and pious manner in 
which the brilliant court of Spain celebrated this sub- 
lime event ; offering up a grateful tribute of melody and 
praise, and giving glory to God for the discovery of 
another world. 

While the mind of Columbus was excited by this 



112 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

triumph, and teeming with splendid anticipations, hi« 
pious scheme for the deliverance of the holy sepulchre 
was not forgotten. Flushed with the idea of the vast 
wealth that must accrue to himself from his discoveries, 
he made a vow to furnish, within seven years, an army 
of four thousand horse and fifty thousand foot, for a 
crusade to the holy land, and a similar force within the 
five following years. It is essential to a full knowledge 
of the character and motives of this extraordinary man, 
that this visionary project should be borne in recollec- 
tion. It shows how much his mind was elevated above 
selfish and mercenary views, and filled with those devout 
and heroic schemes, which, in the time of the crusades, 
had inflamed the thoughts and directed the enterprises 
of the bravest warriors and most illustrious princes. 

During his sojourn at Barcelona, the sovereigns took 
every occasion to bestow on Columbus the highest marks 
of personal consideration. He was admitted at all times 
to the royal presence ; appeared occasionally with the 
king on horseback, riding on one side of him, while 
Prince Juan rode on the other side, and the queen de- 
lighted to converse familiarly with him on the subject of 
his voyage. To perpetuate in his family the glory of 
his achievement, a coat of arms was given him, in which 
he was allowed to quarter the royal arms, the castle and 
lion, with those more peculiarly assigned him, which were 
a groupe of islands surrounded by waves ; to these arms 
were afterwards annexed the motto : 

A CASTILLA Y A LEON 
NUEVO MUNDO DIO COLON. 

To Castile and Leon 
Columbus gave a new world.) 



OF COLUMBUS. 113 

The pension of thirty crowns which had been decreed 
by the sovereigns to whomsoever should first discover 
land, was adjudged to Columbus, for having first seen the 
light on the shore. It is said that the seaman who first de- 
scried the land was so incensed at being disappointed of 
what he deemed his merited reward, that he renounced 
his country, and his faith, and, crossing into Africa, 
turned Mussulman; an anecdote, however, which rests 
on rather questionable authority. 

The favour shown Columbus by the sovereigns, en- 
sured him for a time the caresses of the nobility ; for, in 
a court, every one is eager to lavish attentions upon the 
man "whom the king delighteth to honour." At one 
of the banquets which were given him, occurred the 
well known circumstance of the egg. A shallow cour- 
tier present, impatient of the honours paid to Columbus, 
and meanly jealous of him as a foreigner, abruptly asked 
him, whether he thought that, in case he had not disco- 
vered the Indies, there would have been wanting men 
in Spain, capable of the enterprise. To this, Colum- 
bus made no direct reply, but, taking an egg, invited 
the company to make it stand upon one end. Every 
one attempted it, but in vain ; whereupon he struck it 
upon the table, broke one end, and left it standing on 
the broken part ; illustrating, in this simple manner, 
that when he had once shown the way to the new world, 
nothing was easier than to follow it. 

The joy occasioned by this great discovery was not 
confined to Spain; the whole civilized world was filled 
with wonder and delight. Every one rejoiced in it as an 
event in which he was more or less interested, and which 
opened a new and unbounded field for inquiry and en- 
terprise. Men of learning and science shed tears of 
10* 



114 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

joy, and those of ardent imaginations indulged in the 
most extravagant and dehghtful dreams. Notwithstand- 
ing all this triumph, however, no one had an idea of the 
real importance of the discovery. The opinion of Co- 
lumbus was universally adopted, that Cuba was the end 
of the Asiatic continent, and that the adjacent islands 
were in the Indian Seas. They were called, therefore, 
the "West Indies, and as the region thus discovered ap- 
peared to be of a vast and indefinite extent, and existing in 
a state of nature, it received the comprehensive appella 
tion of " the New World." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Papal Bull of Partition. Preparations for a Second 
Voyage of Discover]/. [1493.] 

In the midst of their rejoicings, the Spanish sovereigns 
lost no time in taking every measure to secure their new 
acquisitions. During the crusades, a doctrine had been 
established among the christian princes, according to 
which the pope, from his supreme authority over all tem- 
poral things, as Christ's vicar on earth, was considered as 
empowered to dispose of all heathen lands to such chris- 
tian potentates as would undertake to reduce them to the 
dominion of the church, and to introduce into them the 
light of religion. 

Alexander VI., a native of Valencia, and born a subject 
to the crown of Arragon, had recently been elevated to 
the papal chair. He was a pontiff whom some histori- 
ans have stigmatized with every vice and crime that 



OF COLUMBUS. 115 

could disgrace humanity, but whom all have represented 
as eminently able and politic. Ferdinand was well 
aware of his worldly and perfidious character, and en- 
deavoured to manage him accordingly. He dispatched 
ambassadors to him, announcing the new discovery as 
an extraordinary triumph of the faith, and a vast acquisi- 
tion of empire to the church. He took care to state, 
that it did not in the least interfere with the possessions 
ceded by the holy chair to Portugal, all which had been 
sedulously avoided ; he supplicated his holiness, there- 
fore, to issue a bull, granting to the crown of Castile do- 
minion over all those lands, and such others as might be 
discovered in those parts, artfully intimating, at the same 
time, his determination to maintain possession of them, 
however his holiness might decide. No difficulty was 
made in granting what was considered but a reasonable 
and modest request, though it is probable that the ac- 
quiescence of the worldly minded pontiff was quickened 
by the insinuation of the politic monarch. 

A bull was accordingly issued, dated May 2d, 1493, 
investing the Spanish sovereigns with similar rights, pri- 
vileges, and indulgences, in respect to the newly dis- 
covered regions, to those granted to the Portuguese with 
respect to their African discoveries, and under the same 
condition of propagating the catholic faith. To prevent 
any conflicting claims, however, between the two pow- 
ers, the famous line of demarcation was established. 
This was an ideal line drawn from the north to the south 
pole, a hundred leagues west of the Azores and the Cape 
de Verde Islands. All land discovered by the Spanish 
navigators to the west of this line, was to belong to the 
crown of Castile ; all land discovered in the contrary di- 
rection was to belong to Portugal. It seems never to 



116 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

have occurred to the pontiff, that, by pushing their op- 
posite discoveries, they might some day or other come 
again in colHsion, and renew the question of territorial 
right at the antipodes. 

In the mean time, the utmost exertions were made to 
fit out the second expedition of Columbus. To ensure 
regularity and despatch in the affairs relative to the new 
world, they were placed under the superintendence of 
Juan Rodriguez de Fonseca, archdeacon of Seville, who 
successively was promoted to the sees of Badajoz, Pa- 
lencia, and Burgos, and finally appointed patriarch of 
the Indies. Francisco Finelo was associated with him 
as treasurer, and Juan de Soria as contador, or comp-' 
troUer. Their office was fixed at Seville, and was the 
germ of the Royal India house, which afterwards rose to 
such great power and importance. No one was permit- 
ted to embark for the newly discovered lands, without 
express licence from either the sovereigns, Columbus, 
or Fonseca. The ignorance of the age as to enlarged 
principles of commerce, and the example of the Portu- 
guese in respect to their African possessions, have been 
cited in excuse for the narrow and jealous spirit here 
manifested ; but it always, more or less, influenced the 
policy of Spain in her colonial regulations. 

Another instance of the despotic sway exercised by 
the crown over commerce, is manifested in a royal order, 
empowering Columbus and Fonseca to freight or pur- 
chase any vessels in the ports of Andalusia, or to take 
them by force, if refused, even though freighted by other 
persons, paying what they should conceive a reasonable 
compensation, and compelling their captains and crews to 
serve in the expedition. Equally arbitrary powers were 
given with respect to arms, ammunition, and naval stores. 



OF COLUMBUS. 117 

As the conversion of the heathen was professed to be 
the grand object of these discoveries, twelve ecclesias- 
tics were chosen to accompany the expedition, at the 
head of whom was Bernardo Buyl, or Boyle, a Benedic- 
tine monk, native of Catalonia, a man of talent and repu- 
ted sanctity, but a subtle politician, of intriguing spirit. 
He was appointed by the pope his apostolical vicar for 
the new world. These monks were charged by Isabella 
with the spiritual instruction of the Indians, and provided, 
hy her, with all things necessary for the dignified per- 
formance of the rites and ceremonies of the church. 
The queen had taken a warm and compassionate interest 
in the welfare of the natives, looking upon them as com- 
mitted by heaven to her peculiar care. She gave gene- 
ral orders that they should be treated with the utmost 
kindness, and enjoined Columbus to inflict signal punish- 
ment on all Spaniards who should wrong them. The 
six Indians brought by the admiral to Barcelona, were 
baptized with great state and solemnity, the king, the 
queen, and Prince Juan, officiating as sponsors, and were 
considered as an offering to heaven of the first fruits of 
these pagan nations. 

The preparations for the expedition were quickened 
by the proceedings of the court of Portugal. John II. 
unfortunately for himself, had among his counsellors cer- 
tain politicians of that short sighted class who mistake 
craft for wisdom. By adopting their perfidious policy, 
he had lost the new world when it was an object of ho- 
nourable enterprise ; in compliance with their advice, he 
now sought to retrieve it by subtle stratagem. A large 
armament was fitting out, the avowed object of which 
was an expedition to Africa, but its real destination to 
seize upon the newly discovered countries. To lull sus- 



118 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

picion, he sent ambassadors to the Spanish court, to con- 
gratulate the sovereigns on the success of Columbus, and 
to amuse them with negotiations respecting their disco- 
veries. Ferdinand had received early intelligence of 
the naval preparations of Portugal, and perfectly under- 
stood the real purpose of this mission. A keen diplo- 
matic game ensued between the sovereigns, wherein the 
parties were playing for a newly discovered world. 
Questions and propositions were multiplied and entan- 
gled ; the object of each being merely to gain time to 
dispatch his expedition. Ferdinand was successful, and 
completely foiled his adversary ; for though John II. 
was able and intelligent, and had crafty counsellors to ad- 
vise him, yet, whenever deep and subtle policy was re- 
quired, Ferdinand was master of the game. 

It may be as well to mention in this place, that the 
disputes between the two powers, on the subject of their 
discoveries, was finally settled on June 4th, 1494, by re- 
moving the imaginary line of partition, three hundred 
and seventy leagues west of the Cape de Verde Islands, 
an arrangement which ultimately gave to Portugal the 
possession of the Brazils. 

By the indefatigable exertions of Columbus, aided by 
Fonseca and Soria, a fleet of seventeen sail, large and 
small, were soon in a state of forwardness ; labourers 
and artificers of all kinds were engaged for the projected 
colony ; and an ample supply was provided of what- 
ever was necessary for its subsistence and defence, for 
the cultivation of the soil, the working of the mines, 
and the traflfic with the natives. 

The extraordinary excitement which prevailed respect- 
ing this expedition, and the magnificent ideas which 
were entertained concerning the New World, drew 



OP COLUMBUS. 119 

volunteers of all kinds to Seville. It was a romantic 
and stirring age, and the Moorish wars being over, the 
bold and restless spirits of the nation were in want of 
suitable employment. Many hidalgos of high rank, 
officers of the royal household, and Andalusian cavaliers, 
pressed into the expedition, some in the royal service, 
others at their own cost, fancying they were about to 
enter upon a glorious career of arms, in the splendid coun- 
tries, and among the semi-barbarous nations of the east. 
No one had any definite idea of the object or nature of 
the service in which he was embarked, or the situation 
and character of the region to which he was bound. 
Indeed, during this fever of the imagination, had sober 
facts and cold realities been presented, they would have 
been rejected with disdain, for there is nothing of which 
the public is more impatient, than of being disturbed in 
the indulgence of any of its golden dreams. 

Among the noted personages who engaged in the ex- 
pedition, was a young cavalier of a good family, named 
Don Albnzo de Ojeda, who deserves particular mention. 
He was small, but well proportioned and muscular, of a 
dark, but handsome and animated countenance, and 
possessed of incredible strength and agility. He was 
expert at all kinds of weapons, accomplished in all 
manly and warlike exercises, an admirable horseman, 
and a partisan soldier of the highest order. Bold of 
heart, free of spirit, open of hand ; fierce in fight, quick 
in brawl, but ready to forgive and prone to forget an 
injury ; he was for a long time the idol of the rash and 
roving youth, who engaged in the early expeditions to 
the new world, and distinguished himself by many peri- 
lous enterprises and singular exploits. The very first 
notice we have of him, is a harebrained feat which he 



120 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

performed in presence of Queen Isabella, in the Giralda 
or Moorish tower of the Cathedral of Seville. A great 
beam projected about twenty feet from the tower, at an 
immense height from the ground; along this beam Ojeda 
walked briskly with as much confidence as if pacing his 
chamber. When arrived at the end, he stood on one 
leg, with the other elevated in the air ; then turning 
nimbly, walked back to the tower ; placed one foot 
against it, and threw an orange to the summit ; which 
could only have been done by one possessed of immense 
muscular strength. Throughout all this exploit, the 
least giddiness, or false step, would have precipitated 
him to the earth and dashed him to pieces. 

During the fitting out of the armament, various dis- 
putes occurred between Columbus and the persons ap- 
pointed by the crown to assist him. Juan de Soria, the 
comptroller, demurred occasionally to the expenses, 
which exceeded the amount originally calculated, and 
he sometimes refused to sign the accounts of the admiral. 
The archdeacon Fonseca, also, disputed the requisitions 
of Columbus for footmen and domestics, suitable to his 
state as viceroy. They both received reprimands from 
the sovereigns, and were commanded to study, in every 
thing, the wishes of Columbus. From this trifling cause 
we may date the rise of an implacable hostility, ever after 
manifested by Fonseca towards Columbus, which every 
year increased in rancour, and which his official station 
enabled him to gratify in the most invidious manner. 
Enjoying the unmerited favour of the sovereigns, he 
maintained a control of Indian affairs for about thirty 
years. He must undoubtedly have possessed talents for 
business, to ensure such perpetuity of office ; but he was 
malignant and vindictive, and, in the gratification of his 



OF COLUMBUS. 131 

private resentments, often obstructed the national enter- 
prises, and heaped wrongs and sorrows on the heads of 
the most illustrious of the early discoverers. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Departure of Columbus, on his Second Voyage of DiS' 
covery. Arrival at Hispaniola. [1493.] 

The departure of Columbus on his second voyage of 
discovery presented a brilliant contrast to his gloomy 
embarkation at Palos. On the 25th of September, at 
the dawn of day, the bay of Cadiz was whitened by his 
fleet. There were three large ships of heavy burden, 
and fourteen caravals. The number of persons per- 
mitted to embark had originally been limited to one thou- 
sand ; but many volunteers were allowed to enlist with- 
out pay, others got on board of the ships by stealth, so 
that eventually about fifteen hundred set sail in the fleet. 
All were full of animation, and took a gay leave of their 
friends, anticipating a prosperous voyage and triumphant 
return. Instead of being regarded by the populace as 
devoted men, bound upon a dark and desperate enter- 
prise, they were contemplated with envy as favoured 
mortals, destined to golden regions and delightful climes, 
where nothing but wealth and wonder and enjoyment 
awaited them. Columbus moved among the throng ac- 
companied by his sons, Diego and Fernando, the eldest 
but a stripling, who had come to w^itness his departure. 
Wherever he passed, every eye followed him with ad- 
miration, and every tongue extolled and blessed him. 
11 



122 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Before sunrise the whole fleet was under weigh ; the 
weather was serene and propitious, and as the populace 
watched their parting sails, briglitening in the morning 
beams, they looked forward to their joyful return, laden 
with the treasures of the new world. 

Columbus touched at the Canary Islands, where he 
took in wood and water, and procured live stock, plants, 
and seeds, to be propagated in Hispaniola. On the 13th 
of October he lost sight of the island of Ferro, and 
favoured by the trade winds, was borne pleasantly along, 
shaping his course to the southwest, hoping to fall in 
with the islands of the Caribs, of which he had received 
such interesting accounts in his first voyage. At the 
dawn of day of the 2d of November, a lofty island was 
descried to the west, to which he gave the name of Do- 
minica, from having discovered it on Sunday. As the ships 
moved gently onward, other islands rose to sight, one 
after another, covered with forests, and enlivened by 
flights of parrots and other tropical birds, while the whole 
air was sweetened by the fragrance of the breezes which 
passed over them. These were a part of that beautiful 
cluster of islands called the Antilles, which sweep almost 
in a semicircle from the eastern end of Porto Rico, to 
the coast of Paria on the southern continent, forming a 
kind of barrier between the main ocean and the Carri- 
bean Sea. 

In one of those islands, to which they gave the name 
of Guadaloupe, the Spaniards first met with the delicious 
anana, or pine apple. They found also, to their surprise, 
the sternpost of a European vessel, which caused much 
speculation, but which, most probably, was the fragment 
of some wreck, borne across the Atlantic by the con- 
stant current which accompanies the trade winds. What 



OF COLUMBUSj. 123 

most struck their attention, however, and filled them 
with horror, was the sight of human limbs, hanging in 
the houses, as if curing for provisions, and others 
broiling or roasting at the fire. Columbus now con- 
cluded that he had arrived at the islands of the Cannibals, 
or Caribs, the objects of his search, and he was confirm- 
ed in this belief by several captives, taken by his men. 
These Caribs were the most ferocious people of these 
seas ; making roving expeditions in their canoes, to the 
distance of one hundred and fifty leagues, invading the 
islands, ravaging the villages, making slaves of the 
youngest and handsomest females, and carrying off the 
men to be killed and eaten. 

While at this island, a party of eight men, headed by 
Diego Marque, captain of one of the caravals, strayed 
into the woods, and did not return at night to the ships. 
The admiral was extremely uneasy at their absence, 
fearing some evil from the ferocious disposition of the 
islanders ; on the following day, parties were sent in 
quest of them, each with a trumpeter, to sound calls and 
signals, and guns were fired from the ships, but all to no 
purpose. The parties returned in the evening, wearied 
by a fruitless search, with many dismal stories of the 
traces of cannibalism they had met with. 

Alonzo de Ojeda, the daring young cavalier who has 
already been mentioned, then set off with forty men, 
into the interior of the island, beating up the forests, and 
making the mountains and valleys resound with trumpets 
and fire arms, but with no better success. Their search 
was rendered excessively toilsome by the closeness and 
luxuriance of the forests, and by the windings and 
doublings of the streams, which were so frequent, that 
Ojeda declared he had waded through twenty-six rivers 



124 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

within the distance of six leagues. He gave the most 
enthusiastic accounts of the country. The forests, he 
said, were filled with aromatic trees and shrubs, which 
he had no doubt would be found to produce precious 
gums and spices. 

Several days elapsed without tidings of the stragglers, 
and Columbus, giving them up for lost, was on the point 
of sailing, when they made their way back to the fleet, 
haggard and exhausted. For several days they had been 
bewildered in the mazes of a forest so dense as almost to 
exclude the day. Some of them had climbed trees in 
hopes of getting a sight of the stars by which to govern 
their course, but the height of the branches shut out all 
view of the heavens. They were almost reduced to 
despair, when they fortunately arrived at the sea shore, 
and keeping along it, came to where the fleet was at 
anchor. 

After leaving Guadaloupe, Columbus touched at other 
of the Carribean Islands. At one of them, which he 
named Santa Cruz, a ship's boat, sent on shore for water, 
had an encounter with a canoe, in which were a few 
Indians, two of whom were females. The women fought 
as desperately as the men, and plied their bows with 
such vigour, that one of them sent an arrow through a 
Spanish buckler, and wounded the soldier who bore it. 
The canoe being run down and overset, they continued 
to fight while in the water, gathering themselves occa- 
sionally on sunken rocks, and managing their weapons 
as dexterously as if they had been on firm ground. It 
was with the utmost difficulty they could be overpower- 
ed and taken. When brought on board the ships, the 
Spaniards could not but admire their untamed spirit and 
fierce demeanour. One of the females, from the reve- 



OF COLUMBUS. 125 

tence with which the rest treated her, appeared to be 
their queen : she was accompanied by her son, a young 
man strongly made, with a haughty and frowning brow, 
who had been wounded in the combat. One of the 
Indians had been transpierced by a lance, and died of the 
wound ; and one of the Spaniards died a day or two af- 
terwards, of a wound received from a poisoned arrow. 

Pursuing his voyage, Columbus passed by a cluster of 
small islands, to which he gave the name of The Eleven 
Thousand Virgins, and arrived one evening in sight of 
a great island, covered with fine forests, and indented 
with havens. It was called by the natives Boriquen, but 
he named it San Juan Bautista ; it is the same since 
known by the name of Porto Rico. After running for 
a whole day along its beautiful coast, and touching at a 
bay at the west end, he arrived, on the 22d of Novem- 
ber, off the eastern extremity of Hayti, or Hispaniola. 
The greatest animation prevailed throughout the armada 
at the thoughts of soon arriving at the end of their voy- 
age, while those who had accompanied Columbus in the 
preceding expedition, looked forward to meeting with the 
comrades they had left behind, and to a renewal of plea- 
sant scenes among the groves of Hayti. Passing by the 
gulf of Las Fleches, wher^ the skirmish had occurred 
with the natives, Columbus set on shore one of the young 
Indians who had been taken from the neighbourhood, and 
had accompanied him to Spain. He dismissed him fine- 
ly apparelled and loaded with trinkets, anticipating fa- 
vourable effects from the accounts he would be able to 
give to his countrymen of the power and munificence of 
the Spaniards, but he never heard any thing of him more. 
Only one Indian, of those who had been to Spain, re- 
mained in the fleet, a young Lucayan, native of the island 
11* 



126 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

of Guanahani, who had been baptized at Barcelona, and 
named after the admiral's brother, Diego Colon ; he con- 
tinued always faithful and devoted to the Spaniards. 

Continuing along the coast, Columbus paused in the 
neighbourhood of Monte Christi, to fix upon a place 
for a settlement, in the neighbourhood of a stream said 
to abound in gold, to which, in his first voyage, he had 
given the name of Rio del Oro. Here, as the seamen 
were ranging the shore, they found the bodies of three 
men and a boy, one of whom had a rope of Spanish 
grass about his neck, and another, from having a beard, 
was evidently a European. The bodies were in a state 
of decay, but bore the marks of violence. This specta- 
cle gave rise to many gloomy forebodings, and Columbus 
hastened forward to La Navidad, full of apprehensions 
that some disaster had befallen Diego de Arana and his 
companions. 



CHAPTER XVHI. 

Fats of the fortress of La Navidad, Transactions at 
the harbour, [1493.] 

On the evening of the 27th of November, Columbus 
anchored opposite to the harbour of La Navidad, about a 
league from the land. As it was too dark to distinguish 
objects, he ordered two signal guns to be fired. The re- 
port echoed along the shore, but there was no gun, or 
light, or friendly shout in reply. Several hours passed 
away in the most dismal suspense ; about midnight, a num- 
ber of Indians came off in a canoe and inquired for the admi- 



OF COLUMBUS. 127 

ral, refusing to come on board until they should see him 
personally. Columbus showed himself at the side of his 
vessel, and a light being held up, his countenance and 
commanding person were not to be mistaken. The 
Indians now entered the ship without hesitation. One 
of them was a cousin of the cacique Guacanagari, and 
the bearer of a present from him. The first inquiry of 
Columbus Avas concerning the garrison. He was in- 
formed that several of the Spaniards had died of sick- 
ness, others had fallen in a quarrel among themselves, 
and others had removed to a different part of the island. 
That Guacanagari had been assailed by Caonabo, the 
fierce cacique of the golden mountains of Cibao, who 
had wounded him in combat, and burnt his village, and 
that he remained ill of his wound, in a neighbouring 
hamlet. 

Melancholy as were these tidings, they relieved Co- 
lumbus from the painful suspicion of treachery on the 
part of the cacique and people in whom he had confided, 
and gave him hopes of finding some of the scattered 
garrison still alive. The Indians were well entertained, 
and gratified with presents; on departing they promised 
to return in the morning with Guacanagari. The morn- 
ing, however, dawned and passed away, and the day de- 
clined without the promised visit from the chieftain. 
There was a silence and an air of desertion about the 
whole neighbourhood. Not a canoe appeared in the har- 
bour ; not an Indian hailed them from the land, nor was 
there any smoke to be seen rising from among the groves. 
Towards the evening, a boat was sent on shore to re- 
connoitre. The crew hastened to the place where the 
fortress had been erected. They found it burnt and de- 
molished ; the palisadoes beaten down, and the ground 



128 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Strewed with broken chests, spoiled provisions, and the 
fragments of European garments. Not an Indian ap- 
proached them, and if they caught a sight of any lurking 
among the trees, they vanished on finding themselves 
perceived. Meeting no one from whom they could 
obtain information concerning this melancholy scene, 
they returned to the ships with dejected hearts. 

Columbus, tiimself, landed on the following morning, 
and repairing to the ruins of the fortress, caused dili- 
gent search to be made for the dead bodies of the garri- 
son. Cannon and arquebuses were discharged to sum- 
mon any survivors that might be in the neighbourhood, 
but none made their appearance. Columbus had ordered 
Arana and his fellow officers, in case of sudden danger, 
to bury all the treasure they might possess, or throw it 
in the well of the fortress. The well was therefore search- 
ed, and excavations were made among the ruins, but no 
gold was to be found. Not far from the fortress, the 
bodies of eleven Europeans were found buried in diffe- 
rent places, and they appeared to have been for some 
time in the ground. In the houses of a neighbouring 
hamlet were found several European articles, which 
could not have been procured by barter. This gave 
suspicions that the fortress had been plundered by the 
Indians in the vicinity ; while, on the other hand, the 
village of Guacanagari was a mere heap of burnt ruins, 
which showed that he and his people had been involved 
in the same disaster with the garrison. Columbus was 
for some time perplexed by these contradictory docu- 
ments of a disastrous story. At length a communica- 
tion was effected with some of the natives ; their evi- 
dent apprehensions were dispelled, and by the aid of the 
interpreter the fate of the garrison was more minutely 
ascertained. 



OF COLUMBUS. 129 

It appeared that Columbus had scarcely set sail for 
Spain, when all his counsels and commands faded from 
the minds of those who remained behind. Instead of cul- 
tivating the good will of the natives, they endeavoured, by 
all kinds of wrongful means, to get possession of their 
golden ornaments and other articles of value, and seduced 
from them their wives and daughters. Fierce brawls oc- 
curred between themselves, about their ill-gotten spoils, 
or the favours of the Indian women. In vain did Diego de 
Arana interpose his authority; all order, all subordination, 
all unanimity, were at an end; factions broke out among 
them, and at length ambition arose to complete the de- 
struction of this mimic empire. Pedro Gutierrez and 
Rodrigo de Escobedo, whom Columbus had left as lieu- 
tenants, to succeed Arana in case of accident, now aspir- 
ed to an equal share in the authority. In the quarrels 
which succeeded, a Spaniard was killed, and Gutierrez 
and Escobedo, having failed in their object, withdrew 
from the fortress, with nine of their adherents, and a 
number of women, and set off for the mountains of 
Cibao, with the idea of procuring immense wealth from 
its golden mines. These mountains were in the territo- 
ries of the famous Caonabo, called by the Spaniards the 
lord of the golden house. He was a Carib by birth, and 
had come an adventurer to the island, but, possessing the 
fierceness and enterprise of his nation, had gained such an 
ascendency over these simple and unwarlike people, as to 
make himself their most powerful cacique. The won- 
derful accounts of the white men had reached him among 
his mountains, and he had the shrewdness to perceive 
that his own consequence must decline before such formi- 
dable intruders. The departure of Columbus had given 
him hopes that their intrusion would be but temporary ; 



130 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the discords of those who remained increased his confi- 
dence. No sooner, therefore, did Gutierrez and Escobe- 
do, with their companions, appear in his dominions, than 
he seized them and put them to death. He then assem- 
bled his subjects, and traversing the forests with pro- 
found secresy, arrived in the vicinity of La Navidad with- 
out being discovered. But ten men remained in the 
fortress with Arana ; the rest were living in careless se- 
curity in the village. In the dead of the night Caonabo 
and his warriors burst upon the place with frightful 
yells, and set fire to the fortress and village. The 
Spaniards were completely taken by surprise. Eight 
were driven to the sea side, and rushing into the waves, 
were drowned ; the rest were massacred. Guacanagari 
and his subjects fought faithfully in defence of their 
guests, but, not being of a warlike character, they were 
easily routed. The cacique was wounded in the conflict, 
and his village burnt to the ground. 

Such is the story of the first European establishment 
in the new world. It presents in a diminutive compass 
an epitome of the gross vices which degrade civiliza- 
tion, and the grand political errors which sometimes 
subvert the mightiest empires. All law and order were 
relaxed by licentiousness, public good was sacrificed to 
private interest and passion, the community was con- 
vulsed by divers factions, until the whole body politic 
was shaken asunder by two aspiring demagogues, am 
bitious of the command of a petty fortress in a wilder- 
ness, and the supreme control of eight and thirty men. 

This account of the catastrophe of the fortress satis- 
fied Columbus of the good faith of Guacanagari ; but 
circumstances concurred to keep alive the suspicions 
entertained of him by the Spaniards. Columbus paid 



OF COLUMBUS. 131 

a visit to the chieftain, whom he found in a neighbouring 
village, sufilering apparently from a bruise which he had 
received in the leg, from a stone. Several of his sub- 
jects, also, exhibited recent wounds which had evidently 
been made by Indian weapons. The cacique was 
greatly agitated at seeing Columbus, and deplored with 
tears the misfortunes of the garrison. At the request 
of the admiral, his leg was examined by a Spanish sur- 
geon, but no sign of a wound was to be seen, though he 
shrunk with pain whenever the leg was touched. As 
some time had elapsed since the battle, the external 
bruise might have disappeared, while a tenderness might 
remain in the part. Many of the Spaniards, however, 
who had not witnessed the generous conduct of the 
cacique in the first voyage, looked upon his lameness as 
feigned, and the whole story of the battle a fabrication, 
to conceal his perfidy. Columbus persisted in believing 
him innocent, and invited him on board of his ships, 
where the cacique was greatly astonished at the wonders 
of art and nature, brought from the old world. What 
most amazed him was the horses. He had never seen 
any but the most diminutive quadrupeds, and gazed with 
awe at the grandeur of these noble animals, their great 
strength, terrific appearance, yet perfect docility. The 
sight of the Carib prisoners, also increased his idea of 
the prowess of the Spaniards, having the hardihood to 
invade these terrible beings, even in their strong holds, 
while he could scarcely look upon them without shud- 
dering, though in chains. 

On board the ship were several Indian women who 
had been captives to the Caribs. Among them was one 
distinguished above her companions by a certain loftiness 
of demeanour ; she had been much noticed and admired 



133 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

by the Spaniards, who had given her the name of Cata- 
lina. She particularly attracted the attention of the 
cacique, who is represented to have been of an amorous 
complexion. He spoke to her repeatedly, with great 
gentleness of tone and manner, pity in all probability 
being mingled with his admiration, for, though rescued 
from the hands of the Caribs, she and her companions 
were still, in a manner, captives on board of the ship. 

A collation was served up, for the entertainment of 
Guacanagari, and Columbus endeavoured by kindness 
and hospitality to revive their former cordial intercourse, 
but it was all in vain ; the cacique was evidently dis- 
trustful and ill at ease. The suspicions of his guilt 
gained ground among the Spaniards ; Father Boyle, in 
particular, regarded him with an evil eye, and advised 
Columbus, now that he had him securely on board of his 
ship, to detain him prisoner ; but Columbus rejected the 
council of the crafty friar, as contrary to sound policy 
and honourable faith. The cacique, however, accus- 
tomed in his former intercourse with the Spaniards to 
meet on every side with faces beaming with gratitude 
and friendship, could not but perceive the altered looks 
of cold suspicion and secret hostility ; notAvithstanding 
the frank and cordial hospitality of the admiral, there- 
fore, he soon took leave and returned to land. 

On the following day there was a mysterious movement 
and agitation among the natives on shore. The brother 
of Guacanagari came on board, under pretext of bar- 
tering a quantity of gold, but as it afterwards proved, to 
bear a message to Catalina, the Indian female, whose 
beauty had captivated the heart of the cacique, and 
whom, with a kind of native gallantry, he wished to de- 
liver from bondage. 



OF COLUMBUS. 133 

*' /At midnight, when the crew were buried in their first 
sleep, Catalina awakened her female companions, and 
proposed a bold attempt to gain their liberty. The ship 
was anchored full three miles from the shore, and the 
sea was rough ; but these island women were accustomed 
to buffet with the waves, and the water was, to them, 
almost as their natural element. Letting themselves 
down silently from the side of the vessel, they trusted to 
the strength of their arms, and swam bravely for the 
shore. They were overheard by the watch, the alarm 
was given, the boats were manned and gave chase in the 
direction of a light blazing on the shore, an evident 
beacon for the fugitives. Such was the vigour of these 
sea nymphs, however, that they reached the land before 
they were overtaken. Four were captured on the beach, 
but the heroic Catalina, with the rest of her companions, 
escaped in safety to the forest. Guacanagari disappeared 
on the same day with all his household and effects, and 
it was supposed, had taken refuge, with his island beauty 
in the interior. His desertion gave redoubled force to 
the doubts heretofore entertained, and he was generally 
stigmatized as the perfidious destroyer of the garrison. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Founding of the city of Isabella. Discontents of the 
people, [1493.] 

The misfortunes which had befallen the Spaniards, 

both by sea and land, in the vicinity of this harbour, 

threw a gloom over the place^ and itwasc^sidered by 
12 ¥?S«!W^ 



^34; THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the superstitious mariners as under some baneful influ- 
ence, or malignant star. The situation, too, was low, 
moist, and unhealthy, and there was no stone in the 
neighbourhood for building. Columbus searched, there- 
fore, for a more favourable place for his projected colo- 
ny, and fixed upon a harbour about ten leagues east of 
Monte Christi, protected on one side by a natural ram- 
part of rocks, and on the other by an impervious forest, 
with a fine plain in the vicinity, watered by two rivers. 
A great inducement, also, for settling here, was, that it 
was at no great distance from the mountains of Cibao, 
where the gold mines were situated 

The troops and the various persons to be employed in 
the colony, were immediately disembarked, together 
with the stores, arms, ammunition, and all the cattle and 
Jive stock. An encampment was formed on the margin of 
the plain, round a sheet of water, and the plan of a town 
traced out, and the houses commenced. The public 
edifices, such as a church, a store house, and a residence 
for the admiral, were constructed of stone, the rest of 
wood, plaster, reeds, and such other materials as could 
be readily procured. Thus was founded the first chris- 
tian city of the new world, to which Columbus gave the 
name of Isabella, in honour of his royal patroness. 

For a time, every one exerted himself with zeal ; but 
maladies soon began to make their appearance. Many 
had suffered from sea sickness, and the long confinement 
on board of the ships. Others, from the exposures on 
the land, before houses could be built for their reception, 
and from the exhalations of a hot and moist climate, 
dense natural forests, and a new, rank soil, so trying to 
constitutions accustomed to a dry climate and open 
cultivated country. The important and hurried labours 



OF COLUMBUS. 135 

of building the city and cultivating the earth, bore hard 
upon the Spaniards, many of whom were unaccustomed 
to labour, and needed repose and relaxation. The mala- 
dies of the mind, also, mingled with those of the body. 
Many, as has been shown, had embarked in the enterprise 
with the most visionary and romantic expectations. 
What, then, was their surprise at finding themselves sur- 
rounded by impracticable forests, doomed to toil painful- 
ly for mere subsistence, and to attain every comfort by 
the severest exertion ? As to gold, which they had ex- 
pected to find readily and in abundance, it was to be 
procured only in small quantities, and by patient and 
persevering labour. All these disappointments sank 
deep into their hearts, their spirits flagged as their golden 
dreams melted away, and the gloom of despondency 
aided the ravages of disease. Columbus, himself, was 
overcome by the fatigues, anxieties, and exposures he 
had suffered, and for several weeks was confined to his 
bed by severe illness ; but his energetic mind rose supe- 
rior to the maladies of the body, and he continued to give 
directions about the building of the city, and the general 
concerns of the expedition. 

The greater part of the ships were ready to return to 
Spain, but he had no treasure to send with them. The 
destruction of the garrison had defeated all his hopes of 
finding a quantity of gold, amassed and ready to be sent 
to the sovereigns. It was necessary for him to do some- 
thing, however, before the vessels sailed, to keep up the 
reputation of his discoveries, and justify his own magnifi- 
cent representations. The region of the mines lay at a 
distance of but three or four days journey, directly in the 
interior; the very name of the cacique, Caonabo, signi- 
fying " the lord of the golden house/' seemed to indi- 



136 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

cate the wealth of his dominions. Columbus determin- 
ed, therefore, to send an expedition to explore them. If 
the result should answer to the accounts given by the In- 
dians, he would be able to send home the fleet with con- 
fidence, bearing tidings of the discovery of the golden 
mountains of Cibao. 

The person chosen for this enterprise was Alonzo de 
Ojeda, who delighted in all service of an adventurous 
nature. He set out from the harbour early in January, 
1494, accompanied by a small number of well armed 
men, several of them young and spirited cavaliers like 
himself. They crossed the first range of mountains by a 
narrow and winding Indian path, and descended into a 
vast plain, covered with noble forests, and studded with 
villages and hamlets. The inhabitants overwhelmed 
them with hospitality, and delayed them in their journey 
by their kindness. They had to ford many rivers, also, 
so that they were six days in reaching the chain of moun- 
tains, which locked up, as it were, the golden region ol 
Cibao. Here they saw ample signs of natural wealth. 
The sands of the mountain streams glittered with parti- 
cles of gold ; in some places they picked up large spe- 
cimens of virgin ore, and stones streaked and richly im- 
pregnated with it. Ojeda, himself, found a mass of rude 
gold in one of the brooks, weighing nine ounces. The 
little band returned to the harbour, with enthusiastic ac- 
counts of the golden promise of these mountains. A 
young cavalier, named Gorvalan, who had been sent to 
explore a different tract of country, returned with similar 
reports. Encouraged by these good tidings, Columbus 
lost no time in dispatching twelve of the ships, under 
the command of Antonio de Torres, retaining only five 
for the service of the colony. By these ships he sent ^ 



OF COLUMBUS. 137 

home specimens of the gold found among the mountains 
of Cibao, and of all fruits and plants of unknown and 
valuable species, together with the Carib captives, to be 
instructed in the Spanish language and the christian 
faith, that they might serve as interpreters, and aid in the 
conversion of their countrymen. He wrote, also, a san- 
guine account of the two expeditions into the interior, 
and expressed a confident expectation, as soon as the 
health of himself and his people would permit, of pro- 
curing and making abundant shipments of gold, spices, 
and valuable drugs. He extolled the fertility of the soil, 
evinced in the luxuriant growth of the sugar cane, and of 
various European grains and vegetables ; but entreat- 
ed supplies of provisions for the immediate wants of the 
colony, as their stores were nearly exhausted, and they 
could not accustom themselves to the diet of the natives. 
Among many sound and salutary suggestions in this 
letter, there was one of a pernicious tendency. In his 
anxiety to lighten the expenses of the colony, and pro- 
cure revenue to the crown, he recommended that the 
natives of the Carribean islands, being cannibals and fe- 
rocious invaders of their peaceful neighbours, should be 
captured and sold as slaves, or exchanged with mer- 
chants for live stock and other necessary supplies. He 
observed, that, by transmitting these infidels to Europe, 
where they would have the benefits of christian instruc- 
tion, there would be so many souls snatched from perdi- 
tion, and so many converts gained to the faith. Such is 
the strange sophistry by which upright men may deceive 
themselves, and think they are obeying the dictates of 
their conscience, when, in fact, they are but listening to 
the incitements of their interest. It is but just to add, 
that the sovereigns did not accord with him in his ideas, 
12* 



138 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

but ordered that the Caribs should be treated like the 
rest of the islanders ; a command which emanated from 
the merciful heart of Isabella, who ever showed herself 
the benign protectress of the Indians. 

When the fleet arrived in Europe, though it brought 
no gold, yet the tidings from Columbus and his com- 
panions kept up the popular excitement. The sordid 
calculations of petty spirits were as yet overruled by the 
enthusiasm of generous minds. There was something 
wonderfully grand in the idea of introducing new races 
of animals and plants, of building cities, extending colo- 
nies, and sowing the seeds of civilization and of en- 
lightened empire in this beautiful but savage world. It 
struck the minds of learned and classical men with admi- 
ration, filling them with pleasant dreams and reveries, 
and seeming to realize the poetical pictures of the olden 
time ; of Saturn, Ceres, and Triptolemus, travelling about 
the earth to spread new inventions among mankind, and 
of the colonising enterprises of the Phenicians. 

But while such sanguine anticipations were indulged 
in Europe, murmuring and sedition began to prevail 
among the colonists. Disappointed in their hopes o^ 
wealth, disgusted with the labours imposed upon themj 
and appalled by the prevalent maladies, they looked with 
horror upon the surrounding wilderness, and became im- 
patient to return to Spain. Their discontents were in- 
creased by one Firmin Cado, a wrong-headed and cap- 
tious man, who had come out as assayer and purifier of 
metals, but whose ignorance in his art equalled his obsti- 
nacy of opinion. He pertinaciously insisted that there 
was scarcely any gold in the island, and that all the spe- 
cimens brought by the natives, had been accumulated in 



OF COLUMBUS. 139 

the course of several generations, and been handed down 
from father to son in their families. 

At length a conspiracy was formed, headed by Bernal 
Diaz de Pisa, the comptroller, to take advantage of the 
illness of Columbus, to seize upon the ships remaining in 
the harbour, and to return to Spain ; where they thought 
it would be easy to justify their conduct, by accusing Co- 
lumbus of gross deceptions and exaggerations concerning 
the countries he had discovered. Fortunately, Columbus 
received information in time, and arrested the ring- 
leaders of the conspiracy. Bernal Diaz was confined on 
board of one of the ships, to be sent to Spain for trial; 
and several of the inferior mutineers were punished, but 
not with the severity their offence deserved. This was 
the first time Columbus exercised the right of punishing 
delinquents in his new government, and it immediately 
caused a great clamour against him. Already the disad- 
vantage of being a foreigner was clearly manifested. He 
had no natural friends to rally round him ; whereas the 
mutineers had connexions in Spain, friends in the colony, 
and met with sympathy in every discontented mind. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Expedition of Columbus into the interior of Hispaniola, 
[1494.] 

As the surest means of quieting the murmurs and 
rousing the spirits of his people, Columbus, as soon as 
his health permitted, made preparations for an expedi- 
tion to the mountains of Cibao, to explore the country. 



140 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

and establish a post in the vicinity of the mines. Placing 
his brother Diego in command at Isabella, during his ab- 
sence, and taking with him every person in health that 
could be spared from the settlement, and all the cavalry, 
he departed on the 12th of March, at the head of four 
hundred men, armed with helmets and corselets, with 
arquebuses, lances, swords, and crossbows, and followed 
by labourers and miners, and a multitude of the neigh- 
bouring Indians. After traversing a plain, and fording 
two rivers, they encamped in the evening at the foot of a 
wild and rocky pass of the mountains. 

The ascent of this defile presented formidable difficul- 
ties to the little army, which was encumbered with vari- 
ous munitions, and with mining implements. There was 
nothing but an Indian footpath winding among rocks and 
precipices, and the entangled vegetation of a tropical 
forest. A number of high spirited young cavaliers, 
therefore, threw themselves in the advance, and aiding 
the labourers and pioneers, and stimulating them with 
promises of liberal reward, they soon constructed the first 
road formed by Europeans in the New World, which, in 
commemoration of their generous zeal, was called El 
puerto de los Hidalgos, or the pass of the Hidalgos. , 

On the following day the army toiled up this steep 
defile, and arrived where the gorge of the mountain 
opened into the interior. Here a glorious prospect burst 
upon their view. Below lay a vast and delicious plain, 
enamelled with all the rich variety of tropical vegetation. 
The magnificent forests presented that mingled beauty 
and majesty of vegetable forms, peculiar to these gene- 
rous climates. Palms of prodigious height, and spread- 
ing mahogany trees, towered from amid a wilderness of 
variegated foliage. Universal freshness and verdure 



OF COLUMBUS. I4l 

were maintained by numerous streams which meandered 
gleaming through the deep bosom of the woodland, while 
various villages and hamlets seen among the trees, and 
the smoke of others rising out of the forests, gave signs 
of a numerous population. The luxuriant landscape ex- 
tended as far as the eye could reach, until it appeared 
to melt away and mingle with the horizon. The 
Spaniards gazed with rapture upon this soft voluptuous 
country, which seemed to realize their ideas of a terres- 
trial paradise, and Columbus, struck with its vast extent, 
gave it the name of Vega Real, or Royal Plain. 

Having descended the rugged pass, the army issued 
upon the plain, in military array, with great clangour 
of warlike instruments. When the indians beheld this 
band of warriors, glittering in steel, emerging from the 
mountains with prancing steeds and floating banners, 
and heard, for the first time, their rocks and forests 
echoing to the din of drum and trumpet, they were be- 
wildered with astonishment. The horses especially 
excited their terror and admiration. They at first sup- 
posed the rider and his steed to be pne animal, and no- 
thing could exceed their surprise on seeing the horsemen 
dismount. 

On the approach of the army, the indians generally 
fled Avith terror, but their fears were soon dispelled ; 
they then absolutely retarded the march of the army by 
their kindness and hospitality, nor did they appear to 
have any idea of receiving a recompense for the provi- 
sions they furnished in abundance. The untutored 
savage, in almost every part of the world, scorns to 
make a trafiic of hospitality. 

For two or three days they continued their march 
across this noble plain, where every scene presented the 



i4^ THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

luxuriance of wild uncivilized nature. They crossed 
two large rivers ; one called the Yagui by the natives, 
was named by the admiral the river of Reeds; to the 
other he gave the name of Rio Verde, or Green River, 
from the verdure and freshness of its banks. At length 
they arrived at a cha.n of lofty and rugged mountains, 
which formed a kind of barrier to the vega, and amidst 
which lay the golden region of Cibao. On entering this 
vaunted country, the whole character of the scenery 
changed, as if nature delighted in contrarieties, and dis- 
played a miserlike poverty of exterior when teeming 
with hidden treasures. Instead of the soft, luxuriant 
landscape of the vega, nothing was to be seen but chains 
of rocky and sterile mountains, scantily clothed with 
pines. The very name of the country bespoke the na- 
ture of the soil ; Cibao, in the language of the natives, 
signifying a stone. But what consoled the Spaniards for 
the asperity of the soil, was to observe particles of gold 
among the sands of the streams, which they regarded as 
earnests of- the wealth locked up in the mountains. 

Choosing a situation in a neighbourhood that seemed 
to abound in mines, Columbus began to build a fortress, 
to which he gave the name of St. Thomas, intended as a 
pleasant, though pious, reproof of Firmin Cado and his 
doubting adherents, who had refused to believe that the 
island contained gold, until they should behold it with 
their eyes, and touch it with their hands. 

While the admiral remained superintending the building 
of the fortress, he despatched a young cavalier of Madrid, 
named Juan de Luxan, with a small band of armed men, 
to explore the province. Luxan returned after a few 
days, with the most satisfactory accounts. He found 
many parts of Cibao more capable of cultivation thau 



OF COLUMBUS. 143^ 

those that had been seen by the admiral. The forests 
appeared to abound with spices ; the trees were overrun 
with vines bearing clusters of grapes of pleasant flavour ; 
while every valley and glen had its stream, yielding 
more or less gold, and showing the universal prevalence 
of that precious metal. 

The natives of the surrounding country likewise 
flocked to the fortress of St. Thomas, bringing gold to 
exchange for European trinkets. One old man brought 
two pieces of virgin ore weighing an ounce, and thought 
himself richly repaid on receiving a hawk's bell. On 
remarking the admiration of the admiral at the size of 
these specimens, he assured him that in his country, 
which lay at half a day's distance, pieces were found 
as big as an orange. Others spoke of masses of ore as 
large as the head of a child, to be met with in their 
neighbourhood. As usual, however, these golden tracts 
were always in some remote valley, or along some rug- 
ged and sequestered stream; and the wealthiest spot 
was sure to lie at the greatest distance, — for the land of 
promise is ever beyond the mountain. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Customs and Characteristics of the Natives. 

The fortress of St. Thomas being nearly completed, 
Columbus left it in command of Pedro Margarite, a na- 
tive of Catalonia, and knight of the order of Santiago, 
with a garrison of fifty-six men, and set out on his re- 
turn to Isabella. He paused for a time in the vega to 



144 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

establish routes between the fortress and the harbour ; 
during which time he sojourned in the villages, that his 
men might become accustomed to the food of the na- 
tives, and that a mutual good-will might grow up be- 
tween them. 

Columbus had already discovered the error of one of 
his opinions concerning these islanders formed during 
his first voyage. They were not so entirely pacific, 
nor so ignorant of warlike arts, as he had imagined. 
The casual descents of the Caribs had compelled the in- 
habitants of the sea-coast to acquaint themselves with 
the use of arms; and Caonabo had introduced some- 
thing of his own warlike spirit into the centre of the 
island. Yet, generally speaking, the habits of the peo- 
ple were mild and gentle. Their religious creed was 
of a vague yet simple nature. They believed in one 
Supreme Being, who inhabited the sky, who was im- 
mortal, omnipotent, and invisible ; to whom they as- 
cribed an origin, having had a mother, but no father. 
They never addressed their worship directly to him, 
but to inferior deities, called zemes, a kind of messen- 
gers, or mediators. Each cacique, each family, and 
each individual, had a particular zemi as a tutelary or 
protecting genius ; whose image, generally of a hideous 
form, was placed about their houses, carved on their 
furniture, and sometimes bound to their foreheads when 
they went to battle. They believed their zemes to be 
transferable, with all their beneficial powers ; they, 
therefore, often stole them from each other, and, when 
the Spaniards arrived, hid them away, lest they should 
be taken by the strangers. 

They believed that these zemes presided over every 
object in nature. Some had sway over the elements, 



OF COLUMBUS. 145 

causing steril or abundant years, sending whirlwinds 
and tempests of rain and thunder, or sweet and temper- 
ate breezes, and prolific showers. Some governed the 
seas and forests, the springs and fountains, like the ne- 
reids, the dryads, and satyrs of antiquity. They gave 
success in hunting and fishing ; they guided the moun- 
tain streams into safe channels, leading them to mean- 
der peacefully through the plains ; or, if incensed, they 
caused them to burst forth into floods and torrents, in- 
undating and laying waste the valleys. 

The Indians were well acquainted with the medicinal 
properties of trees and vegetables. Their butios, or 
priests, acted as physicians, curing diseases with sim- 
ples, but making use of many mysterious rites ; chant- 
ing and burning a light in the chamber of the patient, 
and pretending to exorcise the malady, and to send it to 
the sea or to the mountain. They practised also many 
deceptions, making the idols to speak with oracular 
voice, to enforce the orders of the caciques. 

Once a year each cacique held a festival in honour of 
his zemi, when his subjects formed a procession to the 
temple ; the married men and women decorated with 
their most precious ornaments ; the young females en- 
tirely naked, carrying baskets of cakes, ornamented with 
flowers, and singing as they advanced, while the cacique 
beat time on an Indian drum. After the cakes had been 
offered to the zemi they were broken and distributed 
among the people, to be preserved in their houses as 
charms against all adverse accidents. The young fe- 
males then danced to the cadence of songs in praise of 
their deities, and of the heroic actions of their ancient ca- 
ciques ; and the whole ceremony concluded by a grand 
13 



146 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

invocation to the zemi to watch over and protect the 
nation. 

The natives believed that their island of Hayti was 
the earliest part of creation, and that the sun and moon 
issued out of one of its caverns to give light to the uni- 
verse. This cavern still exists near Cape Fran9ois, and 
the hole in the roof may still be seen from v/hence the 
Indians believed the sun and moon had sallied forth to 
take their places in the sky. It was consecrated as a 
kind of temple ; two idols were placed in it, and the 
walls were decorated with green branches. In times 
of great drought the natives made pilgrimages and pro- 
cessions to it, with songs and dances, and offerings of 
fruit and flowers. 

They ascribed to another cavern the origin of the hu- 
man race, believing that the large men issued forth from 
a great aperture, but the little men from a little cranny. 
For a long time they dared venture from the cavern 
only in the night, for the sight of the sun was fatal to 
them, jDroducing wonderful transformations. One of 
their number having lingered on a river's bank, where 
he was fishing, until the sun had risen, was turned into a 
bird of melodious note, which yearly, about the time of 
his transformation, is heard singing plaintively in the 
night, bewailing his misfortune. This is the same bird 
which Columbus mistook for a nightingale. 

When the human race at length emerged from the 
cave, they for some time wandered about disconsolately 
without females, until coming near a small lake, they 
beheld certain animals among the branches of the trees, 
which proved to be women. On attempting to catch 
them, however, they were found to be as slippery as eels, 
so that it was impossible to hold them, until they em- 



OF COLUMBUS. 147 

ployed certain men whose hands had been rendered 
rough by a kind of leprosy. These succeeded in se- 
curing four of them ; and from these slippery females 
the world was peopled. 

Like most savage nations, they had a tradition con- 
cerning the deluge, equally fanciful with the preceding. 
They said that there once lived in the island a mighty 
cacique, whose only son conspiring against him, he slew 
him. He afterwards preserved his bones in a gourd, as 
was the custom of the natives with the remains of their 
friends. On a subsequent day, the cacique and his wife 
opened the gourd to contemplate the bones of their son, 
when, to their surprise, several fish leaped out. Upon 
this the discreet cacique closed the gourd, and placed it 
on the top of his hut, boasting that he had the sea shut up 
within it, and could have fish whenever he pleased. Four 
brothers, however, children of the same birth, and curi- 
ous intermeddlers, hearing of this gourd, came during 
the absence of the cacique to peep into it. In their 
carelessness they suffered it to fall upon the ground, 
where it was dashed to pieces ; when, lo ! to their aston- 
ishment and dismay, there issued forth a mighty flood, 
with dolphins and sharks, and tumbling porpoises, and 
great spouting whales ; and the water spread until it 
overflowed the earth, and formed the ocean, leaving only 
the tops of the mountains uncovered, which are the pre- 
sent islands. 

They had singular modes of treating the dying and 
the dead. When the life of a cacique was despaired of, 
they strangled him, out of a principle of respect, rather 
than sufier him to die like the vulgar. Common people, 
in like situation, were extended in their hammocks, 
bread and water placed beside them, and they were then 



148 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

abandoned to die in solitude. Sometimes they were 
carried to the cacique, and if he permitted them the dis- 
tinction, they were strangled. The body of the deceas- 
ed was sometimes consumed with fire in his habitation ; 
sometimes the bones were retained, or the head, or a 
limb, and treasured up among the family reliques. Af- 
ter the death of a cacique, his body was opened, dried at 
a fire, and preserved. 

They had confused notions of the existence of the 
soul when separated from the body, and believed in ap- 
paritions of the deceased. They had an idea that the 
spirits of good men after death were reunited to the spi- 
rits of those they had most loved, and to those of their 
ancestors : they were transported to a happy region, 
generally supposed to be near a lake, in the beautiful 
province of Xaragua, in the western part of the island. 
Here they lived in shady and blooming bowers, with 
lovely females, and banqueted on delicious fruits. 

The dances to which the natives were so addicted 
were not mere idle pastimes, but were often ceremoni- 
als of a religious and mystic nature. In these were 
typified their historical events and their projected enter- 
prises, whether of war or hunting. They were per- 
formed to the chant of certain metres and ballads hand- 
ed down from generation to generation ; some of a sa- 
cred character, containing their notions of theology and 
their religious fables ; others heroic and historic, re- 
hearsing the deeds of their ancestors. These rhymes 
they called areytos, and sang them to the accompani- 
ment of rude timbrels made from the shells of certain 
fishes, or to the sound of a drum made from a hollow 
tree. 



J 



F COLUMBUS. 149 



The natives appeared to the Spaniards to be an idle 
and improvident race, and indifferent to most of the ob- 
jects of human anxiety and toil. They were impatient 
of all kinds of labour, scarcely giving themselves the 
trouble to cultivate the yuca root, the maize, and the 
sweet potato, which formed their main articles of food. 
They loitered away existence under the thade of their 
trees, or amusing themselves occasionally with their 
games and dances. 

In fact, they were destitute Of all powerful motives to 
toil, being free from most of those wants which doom 
mankind, in civilized life, and in less genial climes, to 
incessant labour. In the soft region of the vega, the 
circling seasons brought each its store of fruits, and 
while some were gathered in full maturity, others were 
ripening on the boughs, and buds and blossoms gave 
promise of still succeeding abundance. What need was 
there of garnering up and anxiously providing for 
coming days, to men who lived amid a perpetual har- 
vest ? What need, too, of toilfully spinning or labour- 
ing at the loom, where a genial temperature prevailed 
throughout the year, and neither nature nor custom pre- 
scribed the necessity of clothing ? 

The hospitality which characterises men in such a 
simple and easy mode of existence, was evinced towards 
Columbus and his followers, during their sojourn in the 
vega. Wherever they went it was a continual scene of 
festivity and rejoicing, and the natives hastened from 
all parts to lay the treasures of their groves, and streams, 
and mountains, at the feet of beings whom they still 
considered as descended from the skies, to bring bless- 
ings to their island. 

13* 



150 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

As we accompany Columbus, in imagination, on his re- 
turn to the harbour, over the rocky height from whence 
the vega first broke upon the eye of the Spaniards, we 
cannot help pausing, to cast back a look of mingled pity 
and admiration, over this beautiful, but devoted region. 
The dream of natural liberty and ignorant content, was 
as yet unbroktn, but the fiat had gone forth ; the white 
man had penetrated into the land ; avarice, and pride, 
and ambition, and sordid care, and pining labour, were 
soon to follow, and the indolent paradise of the Indian 
was about to disappear forever. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Sickness and discontent at the settlement of Isabella, 
Preparations of Columbus for a voyage to Cuba, 
[1494.] 

Columbus had scarcely returned to the harbour, when 
a messenger arrived from Pedro Margarite, the com- 
mander at Fort St. Thomas, informing him that the Indi- 
ans of the vicinity had abandoned their villages, and 
broken off" all intercourse, and that he understood Caona- 
bo was assembling his warriors to attack the fortress. 
From what the admiral had seen of the Indians in the 
interior, and the awe in which they stood of the white 
men and their horses, he felt little apprehensions from 
their hostility, and contented himself with sending a re- 
inforcement of twenty men to the fortress, and detaching 
thirty more to open the road between it and the port. 
What gave him most anxiety, was the distress which con- 
tinued to increase in the settlement. The heat and hu- 



OF COLUMBUS. 151 

midity of the climate, which gave wonderful fecundity to 
the soil, and rapid growth to all European vegetables, 
were fatal to the people. The exhalations from undrain- 
ed marshes, and a vast continuity of forest, and the action 
of the sun upon a reeking vegetable soil, produced in- 
termittent fevers, and those other violent maladies so 
tr3ing to European constitutions in the uncultivated 
countries of the tropics. The greater part of the colo- 
nists were either confined by illness, or reduced to great 
debility. The stock of medicines was exhausted ; Euro- 
pean provisions began to fail, much having been spoiled 
and much wasted. To avert an absolute famine, it was 
necessary to put the people upon allowance ; this imme- 
diately caused loud murmurs, in which many in office, 
who ought to have supported Columbus in his measures 
for the common safety, took a leading part. Among the 
number was Friar Boyle, who was irritated at himself 
and his household being put on the same allowance with 
the rest of the community. 

It was necessary, also, to construct a mill immediate- 
ly, to grind the corn, as all the flour was exhausted. 
Most of the workmen, however, were ill, and Colum- 
bus was obliged to put every healthy person in requisi- 
tion, not even excepting cavaliers and gentlemen of rank. 
As many of the latter refused to comply, he enforced 
their obedience by compulsory measures. This was an- 
other cause of the deep and lasting hostilities that sprang 
up against him. He was inveighed against, both by the 
cavaliers in the colony and their families in Spain, as an 
upstart foreigner, inflated with sudden authority, and 
who, in pursuit of his own profit and aggrandizement, 
trampled upon the dignity of Spanish gentlemen, and in- 
sulted tile honour of the nation. 



152 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

The fate, in truth, of many of the young cavaliers who 
had come out in this expedition, deluded by romantic 
dreams, was lamentable in the extreme. Some of them, 
of noble and opulent connexions, had been brought up in 
ease and indulgence, and were little calculated to endure 
the hardships and privations of a new settlement in the 
wilderness. When they fell ill, their case soon became 
incurable. They suffered under the irritation of wound- 
ed pride, and the morbid melancholy of disappointed 
hope ; their sick bed was destitute of the tender care 
and soothing attention to which they had been accus- 
tomed, and they sank into the grave in all the sullenness 
of despair, cursing the day that they had left their coun- 
try. So strong an effect had the untimely and dreary 
death of these cavaliers upon the public mind, that, 
many years afterwards, when the settlement of Isabella 
was abandoned, and had fallen to ruins, its deserted 
streets were said to be haunted by their spectres, walk 
ing about in ancient Spanish dresses, saluting the way 
farer in stately and mournful silence, and vanishing on 
being accosted. Their melancholy story was insidiously 
made use of by the enemies of the admiral, for it was 
said that they had been seduced from their homes by 
his delusive promises, and sacrificed by him to his pri- 
vate interests. 

Columbus was desirous of departing on a voyage to 
explore the coast of Cuba, but it was indispensable, be- 
fore sailing, to place the affairs of the island in such a 
state as to ensure tranquillity. For this purpose he de- 
termined to send all the men that could be spared from 
the concerns of the city, or the care of the sick, into the 
interior, where they could be subsisted among the na- 
tives, and become accustomed to their diet, while their 



OF COLUMBUS. 153 

ibrce would overawe the machinations of Caonabo, or 
any other hostile cacique. A little army was according 
ly mustered of two hundred and fifty cross bow men, 
one hundred and ten arquebusiers, sixteen horsemen, and 
twenty officers. These were to be commanded by Pedro 
Margarite, while Ojeda was to succeed him in the com- 
mand of Fort St. Thomas. 

Columbus wrote a long and earnest letter of instruc- 
tions to Margarite, desiring him to make a military tour, 
and to explore the principal parts of the island ; but en- 
joining on him the strictest discipline of his army, and 
the most vigilant care to protect the rights of the Indi- 
ans, and cultivate their friendship. Ojeda set off at the 
head of the little army for the fortress ; on his way he 
learnt that three Spaniards had been robbed of their ef- 
fects by five Indians, at the ford of one of the rivers ot 
the vega, and that the delinquents had been sheltered by 
their cacique, who had shared their booty. Ojeda was 
a quick and impetuous soldier, whose ideas were all of a 
military kind. He seized one of the thieves, ordered his 
ears to be cut off in the public square of the village, and 
sent the cacique, with his son and nephew, in chains to 
the admiral, \^'ho, after terrifying them with preparations 
for a public execution, pretended to yield to the tears 
and entreaties of their friends, and set them at liberty. 

Having thus distributed his forces about the island, 
and taken measures for its tranquillity, Columbus formed 
a junta for its government, of which his brother Don 
Difgo was president, and Father Boyle, Pedro Fernan- 
dez Coronal, Alonzo Sanchez Caravajal, and Juan de 
Laxan, were counsellors. Leaving in the harbour two 
of his largest ships, which drew too much water to ex- 
plore unknown coasts and rivers, he set sail on the 24th 



154 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

of April, with the Nina or Santa Clara, the San Juan, and 
the Cordera. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Cruise of Columbus along the Southern Coast of Cuba. 
[1494.] 

The plan of the present expedition of Columbus was, 
to revisit Cuba at the point where he had abandoned it 
on his first voyage, and thence to explore it on the 
southern side. As has already been observed, he sup- 
posed it to be a continent, and the extreme end of Asia; 
and if so, by following its shores in the proposed direc- 
tion, he trusted to arrive at Mangi, and Cathay, and other 
rich and commercial, though semi-barbarous countries, 
forming part of the territories of the Grand Khan, as 
described by Mandeville and Marco Polo. 

Having arrived, on the 29th of April, at the eastern 
end of Cuba, to which in his preceding voyage he had 
given the name of Alpha and Omega, but which is now 
known as Cape Maysi, he sailed along the southern 
coast, touching once or twice in the harbours. The 
natives crowded to the shores, gazing with astonishment 
at the ships as they glided gently along at no great dis- 
tance. They held up fruits and other provisions, to 
tempt the Spaniards to land, while others came off in 
canoes, offering various refreshments, not in barter, but 
as free gifts. On inquiring of them for gold, they uni- 
formly pointed to the south, intimating that a great island 
lay in that direction, where it was to be found in abun- 



OF COLUMBUS. 155 

dance. On the 3d of May, therefore, Cokimbiis turned 
his prow directly south, and abandoning the coast of 
Cuba for a time, steered in quest of this reported island. 
He had not sailed many leagues before the blue sum- 
mits of Jamaica began to rise above the horizon. It 
was two days and a night, however, before he reached 
it, filled with admiration as he gradually drew near, at 
its vast extent, the beauty of its mountains, the majesty 
of its forests, and the great number of villages which 
animated the whole face of the country. 

He coasted the island from about the centre to a port 
at the western end, which he called the gulph of Buen- 
tiempo. He found, the natives more ingenious as well 
as more warlike than those of Cuba and Hayti. Their 
. canoes were constructed with more art, and ornamented 
at the bow and stern with carving and painting. Many 
were of great size, though formed of the hollow trunks 
of single trees, often a species of the mahogany. Colum- 
bus measured one which proved to be ninety-six feet 
Jong and eight broad ; it was hollowed out of one of 
those magnificent trees which rise like verdant towers 
amidst the rich forests of the tropics. Every cacique 
possessed a large canoe of the kind, which he seemed 
to regard as his galley of state. The Spaniards at first 
were treated with hostility, and were compelled to skir- 
mish with the natives, but a friendly intercourse suc- 
ceeded. 

Columbus being disappointed in his hopes of finding 
gold in Jamaica, and the breeze being fair for Cuba, he 
determined to return thither. Just as he was about to 
sail, a young Indian came off to the ship, and begged 
that the Spaniards would take him with them to their 
country. He was followed by his relatives and friends, 



156 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

supplicating him to abandon his purpose. For some 
time he was distracted between concern for their dis- 
tress, and an ardent desire to see the home of the won- 
derful strangers. Curiosity, and the youthful propen- 
sity to rove, at length prevailed ; he tore himself from 
the embraces of his friends, and took refuge in a secret 
part of the ship, from the tears and entreaties of his 
sisters. Touched by this scene of natural affection, and 
pleased with the confiding spirit of the youth, Colum- 
bus ordered that he should be treated with especial 
kindness. 

It would have been interesting to have known some- 
thing more of this curious savage, and of the effect 
which the first sight of the land of the white men had 
upon his mind : whether it equalled his hopes ; or whe- 
ther, as is usual with savages, he pined, amidst the 
splendours of cities, for his native forests ; and whether 
he ever returned to the arms of his family. The Spa- 
nish voyagers, however, were indifferent to these mat- 
ters : no further mention is made in their narratives of 
this youthful adventurer. 

Having steered again for Cuba, Columbus, on the 18th 
of May, arrived at a great cape, to which he gave the 
name of Cabo de la Cruz, which it still retains. Coast- 
ing to the west he soon got entangled in a complete la- 
byrinth of small islands and keys ; some of them were 
low, naked and sandy, others covered wilh verdure, 
and others tufted with lofty and beautiful forests. To 
this archipelago, which extended as far as the eye could 
reach, and, in a manner, enamelled the face of the ocean 
with variegated verdure, he gave the name of the Queen's 
Garden. He persuaded himself that these were the 
islands mentioned by Sir John Mandeville, and Marco 



OF COLUMBUS, 157 

Polo, as fringing the coast of Asia ; if so, he must soon 
arrive at the dominions of the Grand Khan. 

There was much in the character of the scenery to 
favour the idea. As the ships glided along the smooth 
and glassy channels which separated the islands, the 
magnificence of their vegetation, the soft odours wafted 
from flowers, and blossoms, and aromatic shrubs, the 
splendid plumage of scarlet cranes, flamingoes, and 
other tropical birds, and the gaudy clouds of butter- 
flies, all resembled what is described of oriental climes. 

Emerging from the labyrinth of the Queen's Garden, 
Columbus pursued his voyage with a prosperous breeze 
along that part of the southern side of Cuba, where, for 
nearly thirty-five leagues, the navigation is free from 
banks and islands : to his left was the broad and open 
sea, whose dark-blue colour gave token of ample depth ; 
to his right extended a richly-wooded country, called Or- 
nofay, with noble mountains, frequent streams, and nu- 
merous villages. The appearance of the ships spread 
wonder and joy along the coast. The natives came off" 
swimming, or in canoes, to ofler fruits and other pre- 
sents. After the usual evening shower, when the breeze 
blew from the shore, and brought oflf the sweetness of 
the land, it bore with it also the distant songs of the na- 
tives, and the sound of their rude music, as they were 
probably celebrating with their national chants and 
dances, the arrival of these wonderful strangers on • 
their coasts. 

Animated by the delusions of his fancy, Columbus 
continued to follow up this supposed continent of Asia ; 
plunging into another wilderness of keys and islets to- 
wards the western end of Cuba, and exploring that per- 
plexed and lonely coast, whose intricate channels are 
14 



158 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

seldom visited, even at the present day, except by the 
lurking bark of the smuggler and the pirate. 

In this navigation he had to contend with almost in- 
credible difficulties and perils ; his vessels having to be 
warped through narrow and shallow passages, where 
they frequently ran aground. He was encouraged to 
proceed by information which he received, or fancied he 
received, from the natives, concerning a country far- 
ther on called Mangon, where the people wore clo- 
thing, and which he supposed must be Mangi, the rich 
Asiatic province described by Marco Polo. He also 
understood from them, that among the mountains to the 
west there was a powerful king, who reigned in great 
state over many populous provinces ; that he wore a 
white garment which swept the ground, that he was 
called a saint, and never spoke, but communicated his 
orders to his subjects by signs. In all this we see the 
busy imagination of Columbus interpreting the imper- 
fectly understood communications of the Indians, into 
unison with his preconceived ideas. This fancied king 
with a saintly title was probably conjured up in his 
mind by some descriptions which he thought accorded 
with what he had read of that mysterious potentate 
Prest'er John, who had long figured, sometimes as a 
monarch, sometimes as a priest, in the narrations of all 
eastern travellers. His crews seem to have partaken 
of his delusion. One day a party being sent on shore 
for wood and water, while they were employed in cut- 
ting wood and filling their water casks, an archer stray- 
ed into the forest, with his crossbow, in search of game, 
but soon returned, flying in breathless terror. He de- 
clared that he had seen through an opening glade a man 
dressed in long white robes, followed by two others in 



OF COLUMBUS. 159 

white tunics, reaching to their knees, and that they had 
complexions as fair as Europeans. 

Columbus was rejoiced at this intelligence, hoping 
that he had found the clothed inhabitants of Mangon. 
Two parties were despatched, well armed, in quest of 
these people in white : the first returned unsuccessful ; 
the other brought word of having tracked the footprints 
of some large animal with claws, supposed by them to 
have been either a lion or a griffin ; but which most 
probably was an alligator. Dismayed at the sight, they 
hastened back to the sea-side. As no tribe of Indians 
wearing clothing was ever discovered in Cuba, it is pro- 
bable the men in white were nothing else than a flock 
of cranes, seen by the wandering archer. These birds, 
like the flamingoes, feed in company, with one stationed 
at a distance as a sentinel. When seen through an 
opening of the woodlands, standing in rows in a shal- 
low glassy pool, their height and erectness give them, 
at first glance, the semblance of human figures. 



^CHAPTER XXIV. 

Return Voyage. [1494.] 

Columbus now hoped, by continuing on, to arrive 
ultimately at the Aura Chersonesus of the ancients; 
doubling which, he might make his way to the Red Sea, 
thence to Joppa, and so by the Mediterranean to Spain ; 
or might circumnavigate Africa, pass triumphantly by 
the Portuguese as they were groping along the coast of 
Guinea, and after having thus circumnavigated the globe, 



160 THE LIFE A,ND VOYAGES 

furl his adventurous sails at the Pillars of Hercules, the 
ne plus ultra of the ancient world. But, though his fel*- 
low voyagers shared his opinion that they were coast- 
ing the continent of Asia, they were far from sha- 
ring his enthusiasm, and shrunk from the increasing 
perils of the voyage. The ships were strained and cra- 
zed by frequently running aground. The cables and 
rigging were much M^orn, the provisions nearly ex- 
hausted, and the crews worn out and disheartened by 
incessant labour. The admiral, therefore, was finally 
persuaded to abandon all further prosecution of the 
voyage ; but, before he turned back, he obliged the 
whole of the officers and seamen to sign a deposition, 
declaring their perfect conviction that Cuba was a con- 
tinent, the beginning and the end of India. This sin- 
gular instrument was signed near that deep bay called 
by some the bay of Philipina, by others, of Cortes. 
At this very time, a ship-boy from the mast-head might 
have overlooked the group of islands to the south, 
and have beheld the open sea beyond. Had Columbus 
continued on for two or three days longer, he would 
have passed round the extremity of Cuba ; his illusion 
would have been dispelled, and an Entirely different 
course might have been given to his subsequent disco- 
veries. 

Returning now towards the east, the crews suffered 
excessively from fatigue, and a scarcity of provisions. 
At length, on the 7th of July, they anchored at the 
mouth of a fine river, in a genial and abundant coun- 
try, which they had previously visited, as they had 
come down along the coast. Here the natives brought 
them provisions of various kinds. It was a custom 
with Columbus to erect crosses in all remarkable places, 



OF COLUMBUS. 161 

to denote the discovery of the country, and its subju- 
gation to the true faith. This was done on the banks 
of this river, on a Sunday morning, with great ceremo- 
ny. Columbus was attended by the cacique, and by his 
principal favourite, a venerable Indian, fourscore years 
of age. While mass was performed in a stately grove, 
the natives looked on with aAve and reverence. When 
it was ended, the old man of fourscore made a speech 
to Columbus in the Indian manner. " I am told," said 
he, " that thou hast lately come to these lands with a 
mighty force, and hast subdued many countries, spread- 
ing great fear among the people ; but be not therefore 
vain-glorious. Know that, according to our belief, the 
souls of men have two journeys to perform after they 
have departed from the body ; one to a place dismal, 
foul, and covered with darkness, prepared for such as 
have been unjust and cruel to their fellow-men; the 
other full of delight, for such as have promoted peace 
on earth. If, then, thou art mortal, and dost expect 
to die, beware that thou hurt no man wrongfully, nei- 
ther do harm to those who have done no harm to thee." 
When this speech was explained to Columbus by his 
interpreter, he was greatly moved by the simple elo- 
quence of this untutored savage, and rejoiced to hear 
his doctrine of a future state of the soul, having suppo-^ 
sed that no belief of the kind existed among the inha- 
bitants of these countries. He assured the old man 
that he had been sent by his sovereigns to teach them 
the true religion, to protect them from harm, and to 
subdue their enemies the Caribs. The venerable In- 
dian was exceedingly astonished to learn that the admi- 
ral, whom he had considered so great and powerful, 
was yet but a subject ; and when he was told, by the 
14* 



162 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

interpreter who had been in Spain, of the grandeur cf 
the Spanish monarchs, and of the wonders of their 
kingdom, a sudden desire seized him to embark with 
the admiral, and accompany him to see this wonderful 
country, and it was with difficulty the tears and remon- 
strances of his wife and children could dissuade him 
from his purpose. 

After leaving this river, to which, from the solemn 
mass performed on its banks, Columbus gave the name 
of Rio de la Misa,he continued on to Cape Cruz, and then 
stood over to Jamaica, to complete the circumnaviga- 
tion of that island. For nearly a month he continued 
beating to the eastward along its southern coast, coming 
to anchor every evening under the land, and making but 
slow progress. Anchoring one evening in a great bay, 
he was visited by a cacique with a numerous train, who 
remained until a late hour conversing with the Lucayan 
interpreter, who had been in Spain, about the Spaniards 
and their country, and their prowess in vanquishing the 
Caribs. 

On the following morning, when the ships were un- 
der weigh, they beheld three canoes issuing from among 
the islands of the bay. The centre one was large, and 
handsomely carved and painted. In it were seated the 
cacique and his family, consisting of two daughters, 
young and beautiful, two sons, and five brothers. They 
were all arrayed in their jewels, and attended by the 
officers of the chieftain, decorated with plumes and 
mantles of variegated feathers. The standard-bearer 
stood in the prow with a fluttering white banner, while 
other Indians, fancifully painted, beat upon tabors, or 
sounded trumpets of fine black wood ingeniously car- 
ved. The cacique, entering on board of the ship, dis- 



i 



*0F COLUMBUS. 16S 

tributed presents among the crew, and approaching the 
admiral, " I have heard," said he, " of the irresistible 
power of thy sovereigns, and of the many nations thou 
hast subdued in their name. Thou hast destroyed the 
dwellings of the Caribs, slaying their warriors, and 
carrying their wives and children into captivity. All 
the islands are in dread of thee, for who can with- 
stand thee, now that thou knowest the secrets of the 
land, and the weakness of the people ? Rather, there- 
fore, than thou shouldst take away my dominions, I will 
embark with all my household in thy ships, and will 
go to render homage to thy king and queen, and be- 
hold thy country, of which I hear such wonders." 

When this speech was interpreted to Columbus, and he 
beheld the wife, the sons, and daughters of the cacique, 
and considered to what ills they would be exposed, 
he was touched with compassion, and determined not to 
take them from their native land. He received the ca- 
cique under his protection, as a vassal of his sovereigns, 
but informed him, that he had many lands yet to visit, 
before he should return to his own country. He dis- 
missed him, therefore, for the present, promising that 
at some future time he would gratify his wishes. 

On the 19th of August, Columbus lost sight of the 
eastern extremity of Jamaica, and on the following day 
made that long peninsula of Hayti, since called Cape Ti- 
buron, but to which he gave the name of San Miguel. 
He coasted the whole of the southern side of the island, 
and had to take refuge in the channel of Saona, from a 
violent storm which raged for several days, during which 
time he suffered great anxiety for the fate of the other 
vessels, which remained at sea, exposed to the fury of 
the tempest. Being rejoined by them, and the weather 



164 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

having moderated, he set sail eastward with the inten- 
tion of completing the discovery of the Caribbee islands, 
but his physical strength did not correspond to the ef- 
forts of his spirit. The extraordinary fatigues which he 
had suffered both in mind and body, during this harass- 
ing voyage, which had lasted for five months, had se- 
cretly preyed upon his health. He had shared in all 
the hardships and privations of the common seamen, 
and he had cares and trials from which they were ex- 
empt. When the sailor, worn out with the labours of 
his watch, slept Soundly, in»spite of the howling of the 
storms, the anxious commander maintained his painful 
vigil, through long sleepless nights, amidst the pelting 
of the tempest and the drenching surges of the sea, for 
the safety of the ships depended upon his w^atchfulness. 
During a great part of the voyage, he had been excited 
by the hope of soon arriving at the known parts of In- 
dia ; he was afterwards stimulated by a conflict Mdth 
hardships and perils, as he made his way back against 
contrary winds and currents. The moment he Avas re- 
lieved from all solicitude, and found himself in a tran- 
quil sea, which he had already explored, the excitement 
suddenly ceased, and mind and body sunk exhausted by 
almost superhuman exertions. He fell into a deep le- 
thargy, resembling death itself. His crew feared that 
death was really at hand. They abandoned, therefore, 
all farther prosecution of the voyage, and spreading 
their sails to a favourable breeze from the east, bore 
Columbus back, in a state of complete insensibility, to 
the harbour of Isabella. 



OF COLUMBUS. 165 



CHAPTER XXV. 

£vents in the island of Hispaniola. Insurrections of 
the natives. Expedition of Ojeda against Caonabo. 
[1494.] 

A JOYFUL and heartfelt surprise av/aited Columbus on 
his arrival, in finding at his bedside his brother Bartholo- 
mew, the companion of his youth, his zealous coadjutor, 
and, in a manner, his second self, from whom he had 
been separated for several years. It Avill be recollected, 
that about the time of the admiral's departure for Portu- 
gal, he commissioned Bartholomew to repair to England, 
and ofler his project of discovery to Henry VH. Various 
circumstances occurred to delay this application. There 
is reason to believe that, in the interim, he accompanied 
Bartholomew Diaz in that celebrated voyage, in the 
course of which the Cape of Good Hope was discovered. 
On his way to England, also, Bartholomew Columbus 
was captured by a corsair, and reduced to extreme po- 
verty. It is but justice to the memory of Henry VII. to 
say, that when, after a lapse of several years, the propo- 
sition was eventually made to him, it met with a more 
prompt attention than it had received from any other 
sovereign. An agreement was actually made with Bar- 
tholomew, for the prosecution of the enterprise, and the 
latter departed for Spain in search of his brother. On 
reaching Paris, he received intelligence that the discove- 
ry was already made, and that his brother was actually at 
the Spanish court, enjoying his triumph, and preparing 
to sail on a second expedition. He hastened to rejoin 
him, and was furnished by the French monarch, Charles 



:166 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

VIII., with a hundred crowns to defray the expenses of 
the journey. He reached Seville just as his brother had 
sailed ; but being an accomplished navigator, the sove- 
reigns gave him the command of three ships, freighted 
with supplies for the colony, and sent him to aid his 
brother in his enterprises. He again arrived too late, 
reaching the settlement of Isabella just after the depar- 
ture of the admiral for the coast of Cuba. 

The sight of this brother was an inexpressible relief 
to Columbus, disabled as he was by sickness, overwhelm- 
ed with cares, and surrounded by strangers. His chief 
dependance had hitherto been upon his brother, Don 
Diego ; but the latter was of a mild and peaceable dis- 
position, with an inclination for a clerical life, and was 
but little fitted to manage the affairs of a factious colony. 
Bartholomew was of a different and more efficient cha- 
racter. He was prompt, active, decided, and of a fear- 
less spirit ; whatever he determined he carried into in- 
stant execution, without regard to difficulty or danger. 
His person corresponded to his mind; it was tall, mus- 
cular, vigorous, and commanding. He had an air of 
great authority, but somewhat stern, wanting that sweet- 
ness and benignity which tempered the authoritative de- 
meanour of the admiral. Indeed, there was a certain as- 
perity in his temper, and a dryness and abruptness in his 
manners, which made him many enemies ; yet, notwith- 
standing these external defects, he was of a generous dis- 
position, free from arrogance or malevolence, and as pla- 
cable as he was brave. 

He was a thorough seaman, both in theory and prac- 
tice, having been formed, i^ a great measure, under the 
eye of the admiral, to whom he was but little inferior in 
science. He was acquainted with Latin, but does not 



or COLUMBUS. 167 

appear to have been highly educated, his knowledge, 
like that of his brother, being chiefly derived from a long 
course of varied experience and attentive observation, 
aided by the studies of maturer years. Equally vigorous 
and penetrating in intellect with the admiral, but less en- 
thusiastic in spirit and soaring in imagination, and with 
less simplicity of heart, he surpassed him in the adroit 
management of business, was more attentive to pecunia- 
ry interests, and had more of that worldly wisdom which 
is so important in the ordinary concerns of life. His 
genius might never have excited him to the sublime spe- 
culation which led to the discovery of a world, but his 
practical sagacity was calculated to turn that discovery 
to more advantage. 

Anxious to relieve himself from the pressure of public 
business, during his present malady, Columbus immedi- 
ately invested his brother with the title and authority of 
adelantado, an office equivalent to that of lieutenant go- 
vernor. He felt the importance of his assistance in the 
present critical state of the colony, for, during the few 
months that he had been absent, the whole island had be- 
come a scene of violence and discord. A brief retrospect 
is here necessary, to explain the cause of this confusion. 

Pedro Margarite, to whom Columbus, on his depar- 
ture, had given orders to make a military tour of the 
island, set forth on his expedition with the greater part 
of the forces, leaving Alonzo de Ojeda in command of 
Fort St. Thomas. Instead, however, of proceeding on 
his tour, Margarite lingered among the populous and 
hospitable villages of the vega, where he and his sol- 
diery, by their licentious and oppressive conduct, soon 
roused the indignation and hatred of the natives. Ti- 
dings of their excesses reached Don Diego Columbus, 



168 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

who, with the concurrence of the council, wrote to Mar- 
garite, reprehending his conduct, and ordering him to 
depart on his tour. Margarite repUed in a haughty and 
arrogant tone, pretending to consider himself independ- 
ent in his command, and above all responsibility to Don 
Diego or his council. He was supported in his tone of 
defiance by the kind of aristocratical party composed of 
the idle cavaliers of the colony, who had been deeply 
\vounded in the pundonor, the proud punctilio so jealous- 
ly guarded by a Spaniard, and affected to look down 
with contempt upon the newly coined nobility of Don 
Diego, and to consider Columbus and his brothers mere 
mercenary and upstart foreigners. In addition to these 
partizans, Margarite had a powerful ally in his fellow 
countryman, Friar Boyle, the apostolical vicar for the 
new world, an intriguing man, who had conceived a 
violent hostility against the admiral, and had become 
disgusted with his mission to the wilderness. A cabal 
M^as soon formed of most of those who were disaffected 
to the admiral, and discontented with their abode in the 
colony. Margarite and Friar Boyle acted as if possessed 
of paramount authority; and, without consulting Don 
Diego or the council, took possession of certain ships in 
the harbour, and set sail for Spain, with their adherents. 
They were both favourites of the king, and deemed it 
would be an easy matter to justify their abandonment of 
their military and religious commands, by a pretended 
zeal for the public good, and a desire to represent to the 
sovereigns the disastrous state of the colony, and the ty- 
ranny and oppression of Columbus and his brothers. 
Thus the first general and apostle of the New World set 
the flagrant example of unauthorized abandonment of 
their posts. 



OF COLUMBUS. 169 

The departure of Margarite left the army without a 
head ; the soldiers now roved about in bands, or singly, 
according to their caprice, indulging in all kinds of ex- 
cesses. The natives, indignant at having their hospitali- 
ty thus requited, refused any longer to furnish them with 
food ;. the Spaniards, therefore, seized upon provisions 
wherever they could be found, committing, at the same 
time, many acts of wanton violence. At length the In- 
dians were roused to resentment, and from confiding and 
hospitable hosts, were converted into vindictive enemies. 
They slew the Spaniards wherever they could surprise 
them singly or in small parties ; and Guati'guana, cacique 
of a large town on the Grand River, put to death ten 
soldiers who were quartered in his town, set fire to a 
house in which forty sick Spaniards were lodged, and 
even held a small fortress called Magdalena, recently 
built in the vega, in a state of siege, insomuch, that the 
commander had to shut himself up within iiis walls, until 
relief should arrive from the settlement. 

The most formidable enemy of the Spaniards was 
Caonabo, the Carib cacique of the mountains. He had 
natural talents for war, great sagacity, a proud and dar- 
ing spirit to urge him on, three valiant brothers to assist 
him, and a numerous tribe at his command. He had 
been enraged at seeing the fortress of St. Thomas erect- 
ed in the very centre of his dominions ; and finding by 
his spies that the garrison was reduced to but fifty men, 
and the army of Magarite dismembered, he thought the 
time had arrived to strike a signal blow, and to repeat 
the horrors which he had wreaked upon La Navidad. 

The wily cacique, however, had a different kind of 
enemy to deal with in the commander of St. Thomas. 
AlonzQ de Ojeda deserves particular notice as a specimen 
15 



170 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

of the singular characters which arose among the Spanish 
discoverers. He had been schooled in Moorish warfare, 
and of course versed in all kinds of military stratagems. 
Naturally of a rash and fiery spirit, his courage was 
heightened by superstition. Having never received a 
wound in his numerous quarrels and encounters, h^ con- 
sidered himself under the special protection of the holy 
Virgin, and that no weapon had power to harm him. He 
had a small Flemish painting of the Virgin, which he 
carried constantly with him ; in his marches he bore it 
in his knapsack, and would often take it out, fix it against 
a tree, and address his prayers to his military patroness. 
In a word, he swore by the Virgin; he invoked the Vir- 
gin either in brawl or battle ; and under favour of the 
Virgin he was ready for any enterprise or adventure. 
Such was Alonzo de Ojeda, bigoted in devotion, reck- 
less in life, fearless in spirit, like many of the roving 
Spanish cavaliers of those days. 

Having reconnoitered the fortress of St. Thomas, 
Caonabo assembled ten thousand wai*riors, armed with 
war clubs, bows and arrows, and lances, hardened in the 
fire, and led them secretly through the forests, thinking 
to surprise Oje5a, but found him warily drawn up within 
his fortress, which was built upon a hill, and nearly sur- 
rounded by a river. Caonabo then held the fortress in 
siege for thirty days, and reduced it to great distress. 
He lost many of his bravest warriors, however, by the 
impetuous sallies of Ojeda; athers grew weary of the siege 
and returned home. He at length relinquished the at- 
tempt, and retired, filled with admiration of the prowess 
of Ojeda. 

The restless chieftain now endeavoured to form a 
league of the principal caciques of the island to unite 



OF COLUMBUS. 171 

their forces, surprise the settlement of Isabella, and 
massacre the Spaniards wherever they could be found. 
To explain this combination, it is necessary to state the 
internal distribution of the island. It was divided into 
five domains, each governed by a sovereign cacique of 
absolute and hereditary powers, having many inferior 
caciques tributary to him. The most important domEtin 
comprised the middle part of the royal vega, and was 
governed by Guarionex. The second was Marion, un- 
der the sway of Guacanagari, on v/hose coast Columbus 
had been wrecked. The third was Maguana, which in- 
cluded the gold mines of Cibao, and was under the sway 
of Caonabo. The fourth was Xaragua, at the vv^estern 
end of the island, the most populous and extensive of 
all. The sovereign was named Behechio. The fifth 
domain was Higuey, and occupied the whole eastern 
part of the island, but had not as yet been visited by the 
Spaniards. The name of the cacique was Cotabanama. 
Three of these sovereign caciques readily entered into 
the league with Caonabo, for the profligate conduct of 
the Spaniards had inspired hostility even in remote parts 
of the island, which had never been visited by them. 
The league, however, met with unexpected opposition 
from the fifth cacique, Guacanagari. He not merely re- 
fused to join the conspiracy, but entertained a hundred 
Spaniards in his territory, supplying all their wants with 
his accustomed generosity. This drew upon him. the 
odium and hostility of his fellow caciques, who inflicted 
on him various injuries and indignities. Behechio killed 
one of his wives, and Caonabo carried another away 
captive. Nothing, however, could shake the devotion 
of Guacanagari to the Spaniards ; and as his dominions 
lay immediately adjacent to the settlement, his refusal to 



17J5 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

join in the conspiracy prevented it from feeing immedi- 
ately carried into effect. 

Such was the critical state to which the affairs of the 
island had been reduced, and such the bitter hostility en- 
gendered among its kind aiid gentle inhabitants, during 
the absence of Columbus. Immediately on his return, 
and while he was yet confined to his bed, Guacanagari 
visited him, and revealed to him all the designs of the 
confederate caciques, oflering to lead his subjects to the 
field, and to fight by the side of the Spaniards. Colum- 
bus had always retained a deep senSe of the ancient 
kindness of Guacanagari, and was rejoiced to have all 
suspicion of his good faith thus effectually dispelle''. 
Their former amicable intercourse was renewed, and the 
chieftain ever continued to evince an affectionate reve- 
rence for the admiral. 

Columbus considered the confederacy of the caciques 
as but imperfectly formed, and trusted that, from their 
want of skill and experience in warfare, their plans 
might easily be disconcerted. He was too ill to take the 
field in person, his brother Diego was not of a military 
character, and Bartholomew was yet a stranger among 
the Spaniards, and regarded with jealousy. He detei*- 
mined, therefore, to proceed against tlie Indians in detail, 
attacking some, conciliating others, and securing certain 
of the most formidable by stratagem. 

A. small force was accordingly sent to relieve Fort 
Magdalena, which was beleaguered by Guatiguana, the 
cacique of the Grand River, who had massacred the 
Spaniards quartered in his town. He was driven from 
before the fortress, his country laid waste, and many of 
his warriors slain, but the chieftain made his escape. 
As he was tributary to Guarionex, the sovereign of the 



OF COLUMBUS. 173 

royal vega, care was taken to explain to that powerful 
cacique, that this was an act of mere individual punislj 
ment, not of general hostility. Guarionex was of a 
quiet and placable disposition ; he was easily soothed 
and won to friendship ; and, to link him in some degree to 
the Spanish interest, Columbus prevailed upon him to 
give his daughter in marriage to the converted Lucayan, 
who had been baptized in Spain by the name of Diego 
Colon, and who was devoted to the admiral. He gained 
permission from him also to erect a fortress in the midst 
of his territories, which he named Fort Conception. 
^» The most- formidable enemy remained to be disposed 
of, which was Caonabo ; to make war upon this fierce 
and subtle chieftain in the depths of his wild woodland ter- 
ritory, and among the fastnesses of his mountains, would 
have been a work of time, peril, and uncertain issue. 
In the mean while the settlements would never be safe 
from his secret combinations, and daring enterprises, 
nor could the mines be worked with security, as they 
lay in his neighbourhood. While perplexed on this sub- 
ject, Columbus was relieved by a j^roposition of Alonzo 
de Ojeda, who undertook to bring the Carib chieftain 
either a friend or captive to the settlement. 

Choosing ten bold and hardy followers, well armed 
and well mounted, and invoking the protection of his 
patroness the Virgin, Ojeda plunged into the forest^ 
and making his^ way above sixty leagues into the wild 
territories of Caonabo, appeared fearlessly before the 
cacique in one of his most populous towns, professing to 
come on an amicable embassy from the admiral. He 
was well received by Caonabo, who had tried him in 
battle, and had conceived a warrior's admiration of him. 
The free dauntless deportment, great personal strength, 
15* 



174 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

and agility, and surprising adroitness of Ojeda in all 
manly and warlike exercises, were calculated to charm a 
savage, and soon made him a favourite with Caonabo. 
He used all his influence to prevail upon the cacique to 
repair to Isabella, and enter into a treaty with Colum- 
bus, offering him, it is said, as an inducement, the bell 
of the chapel at the harbour. This bell was the won- 
der of the island. When its melody sounded through 
the forests, as it rung for mass, the Indians had noticed 
that the Spaniards hastened from all parts to the chapel. 
At other times, when it gave the vesper-peal, they be- 
held the Spaniards pause in the midst of their labours 
or amusements, and, taking off their hats, repeat a 
prayer with great devotion. They imagined, therefore, 
that this bell had some mysterious pOwer ; that it had 
come from " Turey," or the skies, and was the zemi of 
the white men ; that it talked to them, and they obeyed 
its orders. Caonabo had longed to see this bell, and 
when it was proffered to him as a present of peace, he 
found it impossible to resist the temptation. 

He agreed to visit the admiral at the harbour ; but 
when the time came to depart, Ojeda beheld with sur- 
prise a powerful army ready to march. He remon- 
strated on taking such a force on a mere friendly visit, 
to which the cacique proudly replied, " that it was not 
befitting a great prince like him to go forth scantily 
guarded." Ojeda feared some sinister design, and, to 
outwit the cacique, had resort to a stratagem which has 
the air of a romantic fable, but is recorded by all the 
cotemporary historians, and. accords with the adventu- 
rous and extravagant character of the man, and the wild 
stratagems incident to Indian warfare. 

•As the army had halted one day near the river Yegua, 



OF COJ.UMBUS. 175 

Ojeda produced a set of manacles of polished steel, so 
highly burnished that they looked like silver. These 
he assured Caonabo were ornaments worn by the Cas- 
tilian monarchs on high -festivities, and were sent as a 
- present to him. He proposed that Caonabo should 
bathe in the river, after which he should be decorated 
with these ornaments, mounted on the horse of Ojeda, 
and conducted back in the state of a Spanish monarch 
to astonish his subjects. The cacique was dazzled with 
the splendour of the shackles, and pleased with the idea 
of bestriding one of those tremendous animals so dread- 
ed by his countrymen. He bathed in the river, mount- 
ed behind Ojeda, and the shackles were adjusted. The 
Spaniards then pranced among the astonished savages, 
and made a wide sweep into the forest, until the trees 
concealed them from sight. They then drew their 
swords, closed round Caonabo, and threatened him with 
instant death, if he made the least noise or resistance. 
They bound him with cords to Ojeda, to prevent his 
falling or effecting an escape ; then putting spurs to their 
horses, they dashed across the Yegua, made off through 
the woods with their prize, and, after a long, rugged, and 
perilous journey, entered Isabella in triumph; Ojeda 
bringing the v/ild Indian chieftain bound behind him a 
captive. 

Columbus could not refrain from expressing hi^ great 
satisfaction when this dangerous foe was delivered into 
his hands. The haughty Carib met him with a lofty 
and uns.ubdued air, disctaining to conciliate him by sub- 
mission, or to deprecate his vengeance for his massa- 
cre of the garrison of La Navidad. He even boasted 
that he had secretly reconnoitred Isabella, with the de- 
sign of wreaking on it the same destruction. He never 



176 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

evinced the least animosity against Ojeda for the arti- 
fice by which he had been captured. He looked upon 
it. as the exploit of a master spirit, to pounce upon him, 
and bear him off in this hawk-like manner, from the 
very midst of his fighting men, for there is nothing that 
an Indian more admires in warfare than a deep-laid and 
well-executed stratagem. Whenever Columbus enter- 
ed the prison of Caonabo, all present rose according 
to custom, and paid him reverenqe. The cacique alone 
remained sitting. On the contrary, when Ojeda enter- 
ed, though small in person, and without external state, 
Caonabo immediately rose and saluted him with pro- 
found respect. On being asked the reason of this, the 
proud Carib replied, that the admiral had never dared 
to come personally to his dominions and capture him ; 
it was only through the valour of Ojeda he was his pri- 
soner ; to the latter alone, therefore, he should pay re- 
verence. 

Columbus, though struck with the natural heroism of 
this savage, considered him too dangerous an enemy to 
be left at large. He maintained him, therefore, a close 
prisoner in a part of his own dwelling, until he could 
be shipped to Spain, but treated him with great kind- 
ness and respect. One of the brothers of the cacique 
assembled an army in hopes of surprising the fortress 
of St; Thomas, and capturing a number of Spaniards, 
for whom he might obtain Caonabo in exchange ; but 
Ojeda received intelligence of his design, and coming 
upon him suddenly, attacked hi!n with his little troop 
of horse, routed his army, killed many of his warriors, 
and took him prisoner. 



OF COLUMBUS. 1T7 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Battle of the Vega — Imposition of Tribute. [1494.] 

The arrival of four ships about this time, command- 
ed by Antonio Torres, bringing out a physician and 
apothecary, various mechanics, jnillers, and husband- 
men, and an ample supplyof provisions, diffused universal 
joy among the suffering Spaniards. Columbus received 
a highly flattering letter from his. sovereigns, approving 
of all that he had done, informing him that all differ- 
ences with Portugal had been amicably adjusted, and 
inviting him to return to Spain, or to send some able 
person in his place, furnished with maps and charts, to 
be present at a convention for adjusting the dividing 
line of discovery between the two powers. Columbus 
hastened the return of the ships, sending his brother 
Diego to attend the convention, and to counteract the 
misrepresentations which he was aware had been sent 
home of his conduct, and which would be enforced by 
Margarite and Friar Boyle. He remitted, by the ships, 
all the gold he could collect, with specimens of fruits 
and valuable' plants, and five hundred Indian captives, 
to be sold as slaves in Seville. It is painful to find the 
glory of Columbus sullied by such violations of the 
laws of humanity, but the customs of the times must 
plead his apology. In the recent discoveries along the 
coast of Africa, the traffic in slaves had formed one of 
the greatest sources of profit ; and in the wars with the 
enlightened and highly civilized Moors of Granada, the 
Spaniards werp accustomed to make slaves of their 
prisoners. Columbus was goaded on, likewise, by the 



t78 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

misrepresentations of his enemies, to try every means 
of indemnifying the sovereigns for the expenses of his 
enterprises, and to produce them a revenue from the 
countries he had discovered. 

The admiral had now recovered his health, and the 
colonists were, in some degree, refreshed and invigora- 
ted by the supplies brought by the ships, when Guacana- 
gari brought intelligence that the allied caciques, headed 
by Manicaotex, brother and successor to Caonabo, had 
assembled all their forces in the vega, within two days 
march of Isabella, with an intention of making a grand 
assault upon the settlement. Columbus immediately de- 
tei-mined to carry the war into the territories of the ene- 
my, rather than wait for it to be brought to his dOor. 

The whole sound and effective force he could muster, 
in the presen.t sickly state of the colony, did not exceed 
two hundred infantry, and twenty horse. There were 
twenty blood hounds also, animals scarcely less terrible 
to the Indians than the horses, and infinitely more de- 
structive. Guacanagari, also, brought Ijis people, into 
the field, but both he and his subjects were of an un- 
warlike character ; the chief advantage of his co-ope- 
ration was, that it completely severed him from his "fel- 
low caciques, and secured him as an ally. 

It was on the 27th of March, 1495, that Columbus 
issued forth from Isabella with his little army, accom- 
panied by his brother, the Adelantado, and advancing 
by rapid marches, arrived in the neighbourhood of the 
enemy, who were assembled in the vega, near to wh^re 
the town of Santiago has since been built. The Indi- 
ans were confident in' their number, which is said to 
have amounted to one hundred thousand ; this is evi- 
dently an exaggeration, but the number was undoubted- 



OF COLUMBUS. 179 

ly very great. The Adelantado arranged the mode of at- 
tack. The infantry, divided into small detachments, 
advanced suddenly from various quarters, with great 
din of drums and trumpets, and a destructive discharge 
of fire-arms. The Indians were struck with panic. 
An army seemed pressing upon them from every quar- 
ter. Many were slain by the balls of the arquebuses, 
which seemed to burst with thunder and lightning from 
the forests. In the height of their confusion, Alonzo 
de Ojeda charged impetuously on- their main body with 
his cavalry, bearing down and trampling them under 
foot, and dealing deadly blows with lance and sword. 
The blood-hounds were, at the same time, let loose, and 
rushed upon the naked savages, seizing them by the 
throat, draoro-ino- them to the earth, and tearino; out their 
bowels. The battle, if such it might be called, was of 
short duration. The Indians, overwhelmed, jEled in 
every direction, with yells and bowlings. Some clam- 
bered to the tops of rocks and precipices, from whence 
they made piteous supplications and promises of sub- 
mission. Many were slain, many made prisoners, and 
the confederacy was, for the time, completely broken 
up. 

Guaeanagari had accompanied the Spaniards into the 
field, but he was little more than a spectator of the^bat- 
tle. His participation in the hostilities of the white men, 
however, was never forgiven by the other caciques ; 
and he returned to his dominions, followed by the ha- 
tred and execrations of his countrymen. 

Columbus followed up his victory by making a mi- 
litary tour through various parts of the island, which 
were soon reduced to subjection. He then exercised 
what he considered the right of a conqueror, and im- 



180 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

posed tributes on the vanquished provinces. In those 
which possessed mines, each individual, above the age 
of fourteen years, was obliged to fender, every three 
mo-nths, the measure of a Flemish hawk's bell of gold 
dust.* The caciques had to pay a much larger amount 
for their personal tribute. Manicaotex, the brother of 
Caonabo, rendered in, every three months, half a cala- 
bash of gold. In 4hose pK)vinces which produced no 
gold, each individual was obliged to furnish' twenty-five 
pounds of cotton every three months. A copper medal, 
suspended about the neck, was a proof that an Indian 
had paid his tribute ; any one found without such a cer- 
tificate was liable to arrest and punishment. Various 
fortresses were erected in the most "important places, 
so as to keep the Indians in complete subjection. 

In this way the yoke of servitude was fixed upon the 
island, and its thraldom completely .insured. Deep de- 
spair now fell upon the natives, for they found a perpe- 
tual task inflicted upon them, enforced at stated and fre- 
quently recurring periods. Weak and indolent by na- 
ture, and brought up ^n the untasked idleness of their 
soft climate, and their fruitful groves, death itself seem- 
ed preferable to a life of toil and anxiety. They saw 
no end to this harassing evil, which had so suddenly fal- 
len* upon them ; no prospect of return to that roving in- 
dependence and ample leisure, so dear to the wild inha- 
bitant of the forest. The pleasant life of the island was 
at an end ; — the dream in the shade by. day ; the slum- 
ber, during the sultry noon-tide heat, by the fountain or 
the stream, or under the spreading palm tree ; and the 
song, the dance, and the game in the mellow evening, 

* Equal in value to fifteen dollars of the present time. 



OF COLUMBUS. 181 

when summoned to their simple amusements by the 
rude Indian drum. Or, if they occasionally indulged 
in a national dance after a day of painful toil, the bal- 
lads to which they kept time were of a melancholy and 
plaintive character. They spoke of the times that 
were past, before the -white men had introduced sorrow, 
and slavery, and weary labour among them ; and they 
rehearsed prophecies pretended to be handed down from 
their ancestors, foretelling that strangers should come in- 
to their island, clothed in apparel, with swords capable 
of cleaving a man asunder at a blow, under whose yoke 
their race should be subdued and pass away. These 
ballads, or areytos, they sang with mournful tunes and 
doleful voices, bewailing the loss of their liberty and 
their painful servitude. 

They had flattered themselves, for a time, that the 
visit of the strangers would be but temporary, and that, 
spreading their ample sails, their ships would soon waft 
them back to their home in the sky. In their simplicity 
they had repeatedly inquired of the Spaniards when 
they intended to return to Turey, or the heavens. All 
such hope wa^ now at an end ; and, finding how vain 
was every attempt to deliver themselves from their in- 
vaders by warlike means, they now resorted to a for- 
lorn and desperate alternative. Knowing that the 
Spaniards depended, in a great measure, for subsistence 
on the supplies which they furnished them, they en- 
deavoured to produce a famine. For this purpose, they 
destroyed their fields of maize, stripped the trees of 
their fruit, pulled up the yuca and other roots, and then 
fled to the mountains. 

The Spaniards were indeed reduced to much distress, 
but were partially relieved by supplies from Spain. 
16 



182 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

They pursued the natives to their mountain retreats, 
hunting them from one dreary fastness to another, un- 
til thousands perished in dens and caverns of famine 
and sickness, and the survivors, yielding themselves up 
in despair, submitted humbly to the yoke. So deep an 
awe did they conceive of their conquerors, that it is 
said a Spaniard might go singly and securely all over 
the island, and the natives would even transport him 
from place to place on their shoulders. 

Before passing on to other events, it may be proper 
here to notice the fate of Guacanagari, as he makes no 
further appearance in the course of this history. His 
friendship for the Spaniards severed him from his coun- 
trymen, but it did not exonerate him from the general 
woes of the island. At a time when Columbus was ab- 
sent, the Spaniards exacted a tribute from him, which 
his people, with the common repugnance to labour, 
found it difficult and distressing to pay. Unable to 
bear the murmurs of his subjects, the hostilities of his 
fellow caciques, the extortions of his ungrateful allies, 
and the sight of the various miseries which he felt as if 
he had invoked upon his race, he retired to the moun- 
tains, where it is said he died obscurely and in misery. 

An attempt has been made by a Spanish historian to ' 
defame the character of this Indian prince ; but it is not 
for Spaniards to excuse their own ingratitude by cast- 
ing a stigma upon his name. He appears to have al- 
ways manifested towards them that true friendship 
which shines brightest in the dark days of adversity. 
He might have played a nobler part, in making a stand, 
with his brother caciques, to drive those intruders from 
his native soil ; but he appears to have been blinded by 
his admiration of them, and his personal attachment to 



OF COLUMBUS. 183 

Columbus. He was bountiful, hospitable, affectionate, 
and kind-hearted ; competent to rule a gentle and un- 
warlike people in the happier days of the island, but 
unfitted, through the mildness of his nature, for the 
stern turmoil which followed the arrival of the white 
men. 



CHAPTER XXVH. 

Arrival of the Commissioner Aguado — Discovery of the 
Gold Mines of Hayna. [1495.] 

While Columbus was endeavouring to remedy the 
evils produced by the misconduct of Margarite and his 
followers, that recreant commander, and his politic co- 
adjutor Friar Boyle, were busily undermining his repu- 
tation in the court of Spain. They accused him of de- 
ceiving the sovereigns and the public by extravagant 
descriptions of the countries he had discovered ; and 
of tyranny and oppression towards the colonists, com- 
pelling excessive labour during a time of sickness and 
debility ; inflicting severe punishments for the most 
trifling offence, and heaping indignities on Spanish gen- 
tlemen of rank. They said nothing, however, of the 
exigencies which had called for unusual labour ; nor of 
the idleness and profligacy of the commonalty, which 
called for coercion and chastisement ; nor of the con- 
tumacy and cabals of the cavaliers, who had been treat- 
ed with indulgence rather than severity. These repre- 
sentations, being supported by many factious and dis- 
contented idlers who had returned from the colony, and 



184 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

enforced by people of rank connected with the cavaliers, 
had a baneful effect upon the popularity of Columbus, 
and his favour with the sovereigns. 

About this time a measure was adopted, which shows 
the declining influence of the admiral. A proclama- 
tion was made on the 10th of April, giving general per- 
mission to native born subjects to settle in the island of 
Hispaniola, and to go on private voyages of discovery 
and traffic to the new world. They were to pay certain 
proportions of their profits to the crown, and to be sub- 
ject to certain regulations. The privilege of an eighth 
part of the tonnage was likewise secured to Columbus, as 
admiral ; but he felt himself exceedingly aggrieved at this 
permission being granted without his knowledge or con- 
sent, considering it an infringement of his rights, and a 
measure likely to disturb the course of regular disco- 
very by the licentious and predatory enterprises of reck- 
less adventurers. 

The arrival of the ships commanded by Torres, bring- 
ing accounts of the voyage along the southern coasts of 
Cuba, supposed to be the continent of Asia, and speci- 
mens of the gold, and the vegetable and animal produc- 
tions of the country, counterbalanced in some degree 
these unfavourable representations of Margarite and 
Boyle. Still it was determined to send out a commis- 
sioner to inquire into the alleged distress of the colony, 
and the conduct of Columbus, and one Juan Aguado 
was appointed for the purpose. He had already been 
to Hispaniola, and on returning had been strongly re- 
commended to royal favour by Columbus. In appoint- 
ing a person, therefore, for whom the admiral appeared 
to have a regard, and who was under obligations to him. 



OF COLUMBUS. 185 

the sovereigns thought, perhaps, to soften the harshness 
of the measure. 

As to the five hundred slaves sent home in the ships 
of Torres, Isabella ordered a consultation of pious theo- 
logians to determine whether, having been taken in 
warfare, their sale as slaves would be justifiable in the 
sight of God. Much difference of opinion arose among 
the divines on this important question ; whereupon the 
queen decided it according to the dictates of her con- 
science and her heart, and ordered that the Indians 
should be taken back to their native country. 

Juan de Aguado set sail from Spain towards the end 
of August with four caravals freighted with supplies, and 
Don Diego Columbus returned in this squadron to His- 
paniola. Aguado was one of those weak men whose 
heads are turned by the least elevation. Though under 
obligations to Columbus, he forgot them all, and forgot 
even the nature and extent of his own commission. 
Finding Columbus absent in the interior of the island, 
on his arrival, he acted as if the reigns of government 
had been transferred into his hands. He paid no re- 
spect to Don Bartholomew, who had been placed in 
command by his brother during his absence, but pro- 
claiming his letter of credence by sound of trumpet, he 
proceeded to arrest various public officers, to call others 
to rigorous account, and to invite every one, who had 
wrongs or grievances to complain of, to come forward 
boldly and make them known. He already regarded 
Columbus as a criminal, and intimated, and perhaps 
thought, that he was keeping at a distance through fear 
of his investigations. He even talked of setting ofl^ at 
the head of a body of horse to arrest him. The whole 
community was in confusion ; the downfall of the fami- 
16* 



186 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

ly of Columbus was considered as arrived, and some 
thought the admiral would lose his head. 

The news of the arrival and of the insolent conduct 
of Aguado reached Columbus in the interior of the 
island, and he immediately hastened to Isabella to give 
him a meeting. As every one knew the lofty spirit of 
Columbus, his high sense of his services, and his jealous 
maintenance of his official dignity, a violent explosion 
was anticipated at the impending interview. The na- 
tural heat and impetuosity of Columbus, however, had 
been subdued by a life of trials, and he had learnt to 
bring his passions into subjection to his judgment ; he 
had too true an estimate of his own dignity to enter into 
a contest with a shallow boaster like Aguado : above all, 
he had a profound reverence for the authority of his 
sovereigns ; for, in his enthusiastic spirit, prone to deep 
feelings of reverence, loyalty was inferior only to reli- 
gion. He received Aguado, therefore, with the most 
grave and punctilious courtesy, ordered his letter of 
credence to be again proclaimed by sound of trumpet, 
and assured him of his readiness to acquiesce in what- 
ever might be the pleasure of his sovereigns. 

The moderation of Columbus was regarded by many, 
and by Aguado himself, as a proof of his loss of moral 
courage. Every dastard spirit who had any lurking ill 
will, any real or imaginary cause of complaint, now 
hastened to give it utterance. It was a time of jubilee 
for offenders : every culprit started up into an accuser ; 
every one who by negligence or crime had incurred the 
wholesome penalties of the laws was loud in his cla- 
mours of oppression ; and all the ills of the colony, 
however produced, were ascribed to the mal-adminis- 
tration of the admiral. 



OF COLUMBUS. 187 

Aguado listened to every accusation with ready cre- 
dulity, and having collected information sufficient, as he 
thought, to insure the ruin of the admiral and his bro- 
thers, prepared to return to Spain. Columbus resolved 
to do the same ; for he felt that it was time to appear at 
court, to vindicate his conduct from the misrepresenta- 
tions of his enemies, and to explain the causes of the 
distresses of the colony, and of the disappointments 
with respect to revenue, which he feared might discou- 
rage the prosecution of his discoveries. 

When the ships were ready to depart, a terrible storm 
swept the island ; it was one of those awful whirlwinds 
which occasionally rage within the tropics, and which 
were called " Uricans" by the Indians, a name which 
they still retain. Three of the ships at anchor in the 
harbour were sunk by it, with all who were on board ; 
others were dashed against each other, and driven mere 
wrecks upon the shore. The Indians were overwhelm- 
ed with astonishment and dismay, for never in their me- 
mory, or in the traditions of their ancestors, had they 
known so tremendous a storm. They believed that the 
Deity had sent it in punishment of the cruelties and 
crimes of the white men, and declared that this people 
moved the very air, the water, and the earth, to disturb 
their tranquil life, and to desolate their island. 

The departure of Columbus, and of Aguado, was de- 
layed until one of the shattered vessels, the Nina, could 
be repaired, and another constructed out of the frag- 
ments of the wrecks. In the mean time, information 
was received of rich mines in the interior of the island. 
A young Arragonian, named Miguel Diaz, in the service 
of the Adelantado, having wounded a companion in a 
quarrel, fled from the settlement, accompanied by five 



189 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

or six comrades, who had either been engaged in the 
affray, or were personally attached to him. Wander- 
ing about the island, they at length came to an Indian 
village, on the banks of the Ozema, where the city of 
San Domingo is at present situated : they were received 
with kindness by the natives, and resided for some time 
among them. The village was governed by a female 
cacique, who soon conceived a strong affection for the 
young Arragonian. A connexion was formed between 
them, and they lived for some time very happily toge- 
ther. At length the remembrance of his country and 
his friends began to haunt the mind of the Spaniard ; 
he longed to return to the settlement, but dreaded the 
austere justice of the Adelantado. His Indian bride 
observing him frequently lost in gloomy thought, drew 
from him the cause of his melancholy. Fearful that he 
would abandon her, and knowing the influence of ^old 
over the white men, she informed him of .certain rich 
mines in the neighbourhood, and urged him to persuade 
his countrymen to abandon Isabella, and remove to that 
part of the island, to the fertile banks of the Ozema, 
promising that they should be hospitably received by 
her nation. 

Diaz was rejoiced at this intelligence, and hastened 
with it to the settlement, flattering himself that it would 
make his peace with the Adelantado. He was not mis- 
taken. No tidings could have come more opportunely, 
for, if true, they Avould furnish the admiral with the 
most effectual means of silencing the cavils of his 
enemies. 

The Adelantado immediately set out in company with 
Diaz and his Indian guides. He was conducted to the 
banks of a river called the Hayna, where he found 



1 



OF COLUMBUS. 189 

gold in greater quantities and larger particles than even 
in the rich province of Cibao, and observed several exca- 
vations, where it appeared as if mines had been worked 
in ancient times. Columbus was overjoyed at the sight 
of these specimens, brought back by the Adelantado, 
and was surprised to hear of the excavations, as the In- 
dians possessed no knowledge of mining, and merely 
picked up the gold from the surface of the soil, on the 
beds of the rivers. The circumstance gave rise to one 
of his usual veins of visionary speculation. He had al- 
ready surmised that Hispaniola might be the ancient 
Ophir ; he now fancied he had discovered the identical 
mines from whence King Solomon had procured his 
great supplies of gold for the building of the temple of 
Jerusalem. He gave orders that a fortress should be 
immediately erected in the vicinity of the mines, and 
that they should be diligently worked ; and he now look- 
ed forward with confidence to his return to Spain, the 
bearer of such golden tidings. 

• It may not be uninteresting to mention that Miguel 
Diaz remained faithful to his Indian bride, who was bap- 
tized by the name of Catalina. They were regularly 
married, and had two children. 



190 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Return of Columbus to Spai7i — Preparations for a third 
Voyage. [1496.] 

The new caraval, the Santa Cruz, being finished, and 
the Nina repaired, Columbus gave the command of the 
island during his absence to his brother, Don Bartholo- 
mew, with the title of Adelantado. He then embarked 
on board of one of the caravals, and Aguado in the 
other. The vessels were crowded with two hundred and 
twenty-five passengers, the sick, the idle, the profligate 
and factious of the colony. Never did a more misera- 
ble and disappointed crew return from a land of pro- 
mise. 

There were thirty Indians also on board, and among 
them the once redoubtable Caonabo, together with one 
of his brothers, and a nephew. The admiral had pro- 
mised to restore them to their country and their power, 
after having presented them to the sovereigns ; trusting 
by kind treatment, and a display of the wonders of Spain, 
to conquer their hostility, and convert them into impor- 
tant instruments for the quiet subjugation of the island. 

Being as yet but little experienced in the navigation 
of these seas, Columbus, instead of working up to the 
northward, so as to fall in with the tract of westerly 
winds, took an easterly course on leaving the island. 
His voyage, in consequence, became a toilsome and te- 
dious struggle against the trade winds and calms which 
prevail between the tropics. Though he sailed on the 
10th of March, yet on the 6th of April he was still iu 
the vicinity of the Caribbee islands, and had to touch at 



OF COLUMBUS. 191 

Giiadaloupe to procure provisions. Here skirmishes 
occurred with the fierce natives, both male and female ; 
for the women were perfect amazons, of large and pow- 
erful frame and great agility. Several of the latter were 
taken prisoners ; they were naked, and wore their hair 
loose and flowing upon their shoulders, though some de- 
corated their heads with tufts of feathers. Their wea- 
pons were bows and arrows. Among them was the wife 
of a cacique, a woman of a proud and resolute spirit. 
On the approach of the Spaniards she had fled with an 
agility that soon distanced all pursuers, excepting a na- 
tive of the Canary islands, noted for swiftness of foot. 
She would have escaped even from him, but perceiving 
that he was alone, and far from his companions, she sud- 
denly turned upon him, seized him by the throat, and 
would have strangled him, had not the Spaniards arrived 
and taken her, entangled like a hawk with her prey. 

When Columbus departed from the island, he dismiss 
ed all the prisoners with presents. The female cacique 
alone refused to go on shore. She had conceived a pas- 
sion for Caonabo, having found out that he was a Carib, 
and she had been won by the story, gathered from the 
other Indians, of his great valour and his misfortunes. 
In the course of the voyage, however, the unfortimate 
Caonabo expired. He maintained his haughty nature to 
the last, for his death is principally ascribed to the mor- 
bid melancholy of a proud but broken spirit. His fate 
furnishes on a narrow scale a picture of the fallacy of 
human greatness. When the Spaniards first arrived on 
the coast of Hayti, their imaginations were inflamed 
with rumours of a magnificent prince among the moun- 
tains, the lord of the golden house, the sovereign of the 
mines of Cibao ; but a short time had elapsed, and he 



192 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

was a naked and moody prisoner on the deck of one of 
their caravals, with none but one of his own wild native 
heroines to sympathize in his misfortunes. All his im- 
portance vanished with his freedom ; scarce any mention 
is made of him during his captivity ; and with innate 
qualities of a high and heroic nature, he perished with 
the obscurity of one of the vulgar. 

Columbus left Guadaloupe on the 20th of April, still 
working his way against the whole current of the trade 
winds. By the 20th of May but a portion of the voy- 
age was performed, yet the provisions were so much ex- 
hausted that every one was put on an allowance of six 
ounces of bread, and a pint and a half of water. By the 
beginning of June there was an absolute famine on board 
of the ships, and some proposed that they should kill 
and eat their Indian prisoners, or throw them into the 
sea as so many useless mouths. Nothing but the abso- 
lute authority of Columbus prevented this last counsel 
from being adopted. He represented that the Indians 
were their fellow beings, some of them Christians like 
themselves, and all entitled to similar treatment. He 
exhorted them to a little patience, assuring them that 
they would soon make land, as, according to his reckon- 
ing, they could not be far from Cape St. Vincent. They 
scoffed at his words, for they believed themselves as yet 
far from their desired haven. The next morning, how- 
ever, proved the correctness of his calculations, for they 
made the very land he had predicted. 

On the 11th of June the vessels anchored in the bay 
of Cadiz. The populace crowded to witness the landing 
of the gay and bold adventurers, who had sailed from 
this very port animated by the most sanguine expecta- 
tions. Instead, however, of a joyous crew, bounding on 



OF COLUMBUS. 193 

shore, flushed with success, and rich with the spoils of 
the goklen Indies, a feeble train of wretched men crawl- 
ed forth, emaciated by the diseases of the colony and 
the hardships of the voyage ; who carried in their yel- 
low countenances, says an old writer, a mockery of that 
gold which had been the object of their search : and who 
had nothing to relate of the new world ^3ut tales of sick- 
ness, poverty, and' disappointment. 

The appearance of Columbus himself w^as a Jvind of 
comment on his fortunes. Either considering himself 
in disgrace with the sovereigas,' or having made some 
penitential vow, he was clad in tlie habit of a Franciscan 
monk, girded with a cord, and he had sufterpd his beard 
to grow like the friars of that order. But however hum- 
ble he might be in his own personal appearance, he en- 
deavoured to keep alive the public interest in his -disco- 
veries. On his way to Burgos to meet the sovereigns, 
he made a studious display of- the coronets, collars, 
bracelets, and other ornaments of gold, which he had 
brought from the new world. He carried with him, 
also, several Indians, decorated with glittering orna- 
ments, and among them the brother of Caonabo, on 
whom he put a massive collar and chain of gold, weigh- 
ing six hundred castillanos,* as being cacique of the 
golden country of Cibao. 

The reception of Columbus by the sovereigns was dif- 
ferent from what he had anticipated, for he was treated 
with distinguished favour; nor was any mention made 
either of the complaints of Margarite and Eoyle, or the 
judicial inquiries conducted by Aguado. However these 
may have had a transient effect upon the minds of the 

* Equivalent to 3195 dollars of the present time, 
17 



194 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

sovereigns, they were too conscious of his great deserts, 
and of the extraordinary difficulties of his situation, not 
to tolerate what they may have considered errors on his 
part. 

Encouraged by the interest with which the sovereigns 
listened to his account of his recent voyage along the 
coast of Cuba, bordering, as he supposed, on the rich 
territories of the Grand Khan, and of his discovery of 
the mines of Hayna, which he failed not to represent as 
the Ophir of the ancients, Columbus now proposed a 
further enterprise, by which he promised to make yet 
more extensive discoveries, and to annex a vast and un- 
appropriated portion of the continent of Asia to their do- 
minions. All he asked was eight ships, two to be de- 
spatched to Hispaniola with supplies, the remaining six 
to be put under his command for the voyage. 

The sovereigns readily promised to comply with his 
request, and were probably sincere in their intentions to 
do so ; but in the performance of their promise Colum- 
bus was doomed to meet with intolerable delay. The 
resources of Spain at this moment were tasked to the 
utmost by the ambition of Ferdinand, who lavished all 
his revenues in warlike enterprises. While maintaining 
a contest of deep and artful policy with France, with 
the ultimate aim of grasping the sceptre of Naples, he 
was laying the foundation of a wide and powerful con- 
nexion, by the marriages of the royal children, who 
were now maturing in years. At this time rose that fa- 
mily alliance which afterwards consolidated such an 
immense empire under his grandson and successor, 
Charles V. 

These widely extended operations both of war and 
amity put all the land and naval forces into requisition, 



OF COLUMBUS. 195 

drained the royal treasury, and engrossed the time and 
thoughts of the sovereigns. It was not until the spring 
of 1497 that Isabella could find leisure to enter fully 
into the concerns of the new world. She then took 
them up. with a spirit that showed she was determined to 
place them upon a substantial foundation, as well as 
clearly to define the powers and reward the services of 
Columbus. To her protecting zeal all the provisions in 
favour of the latter must be attributed, for the king be- 
gan to look coldly on him, and Fonseca, who had most 
influence in the afiairs of the Indies, was his implacable 
enemy. As the expenses of the expeditions had hither- 
to exceeded the returns, Columbus was relieved of his 
eighth part of the cost of the past enterprises, and al- 
lowed an eighth of the gross proceeds for the next three 
years, and a tenth of the net profits. He was allowed 
also to establish a mayorazgo, or entailed estate, in his 
family, of which he immediately availed himself, devi- 
sing his estates to his male descendants, with the express 
charge that his successor should never use any other 
title in signature than simply " The Admiral." As he 
had felt aggrieved by the royal licence for general disco- 
very, granted in 1495, it was annulled as far as it might 
be prejudicial to his interests, or to the previous grants 
made him by the crown. The titles and prerogatives of 
Adelantado were likewise conferred upon Don Bartholo- 
mew, though the king had at first been displeased with 
Columbus for investing his brother with dignities which 
were only in the gift of the sovereign. 

While all these measures were taken for the immedi- 
ate gratification of Columbus, others were adopted for 
the good of the colony. The precise number of persons 
was fixed, who were to be sent to Hispaniola, among 



196 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

whom were several females ; ^nd regulations were made 
for their payment and support, and for the distribution 
of lands among them to be diligently cultivated. The 
greatest care was enjoined likewise by Isabella in the re- 
ligious instrliction of the natives, and the utmost lenity in 
collecting the tributes imposed upon them. With re- 
spect to the government of the colony, also, it was ge- 
nerally recommended that, whenever the public safety 
did not require stern measures, there should be manifest- 
ed a disposition to indulgent and easy rule. 

When every intention was thus shown on the part of 
the crown to despatch the expedition, unexpected diffi- 
culties arose on the part of the public. The charm was 
dispelled which, in the preceding voyage, had made eve- 
ry adventurer crow d into the service of Columbus ; the 
new found world, instead of a region of wealth and en- 
joyment, was now considered a land of poverty and dis- 
aster. To supply the v/ant of voluntary recruits, there- 
fore, Columbus proposed to transport to Hispanio]a, for, 
a limited term of years, all criminals condemned to ba-^ 
nishment or the galleys, excepting such as had commit- 
ted crimes of an atrocious nature. This pernicious 
measure shows the desperate alternative to which he 
was reduced by the reaction of public sentiment. It 
proved, a fruitful source of misery and disaster to the 
colony ; and having frequently been adopted by various 
nations, whose superior experience should have taught 
them better, has proved the bane of many a rising set- 
tlement. 

Notwithstanding all these expedients, and the urgent 
representations of Columbus, of the sufferings to which 
the colony must be reduced for want of supplies, it was 



OF COLUMBUS. 1-97 

not until the beginning of 1498 that the two ships were 
despatched to Hispaniola, under the command of Pedro 
Fernandez Coronal. A still further delay occurred in 
fitting out the six ships that were to bear Columbus on 
his voyage of discovery. His cold-blooded enemy Fon- 
seca, who was now bishop of Badajoz, having the super- 
intendence of Indian affairs, was enabled to impede and 
retard all his plans. The various officers and agents 
employed in the concerns of the armament were most 
of them dependants and minions of the bishop, and 
sought to gratify him, by throwing all kinds of difficul- 
ties in the way of Columbus, treating him with that ar- 
rogance which petty and ignoble men in place are prone 
to exercise, when they think they can do so with impu- 
nity. So wearied and disheartened did he become by 
these delays, and by the prejudices of the fickle public, 
that he at one time thought of abandoning his discove- 
ries altogether. 

The insolence of these worthless men harassed him to 
the last moment of his sojourn in Spain, and followed 
him to the water's edge. One of the most noisy and 
presuming was one Ximeno de Breviesca, treasurer of 
Fonseca, a converted Jew or Moor, and a man of impu- 
dent front and unbridled tongue, who^ echoing the senti- 
ment of his patron the bishop, had been loud in his 
abuse of the admiral and his enterprises. 

At the very time that Columbus was on the point of em- 
barking, he was assailed by the insolence of this Ximeno. 
Forgetting, in the hurry and indignation of the moment, 
his usual self-command, he struck the despicable minion 
to the earth, and spurned him with his foot, venting in 
this unguarded paroxysm the accumulated griefs and vex- 
ations which had long rankled in his heart. This trans- 



198 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

port of passion, so unusual in his well-governed temper, 
was artfully made use of by Fonseca, and others of his 
enemies, to injure him in the royal favour. The per- 
sonal castigation of a public officer was represented as a 
flagrant instance of his vindictive temper, and a corrobo- 
ration of the charges of cruelty and oppression sent 
home from the colony ; and we are assured that certain 
humiliating measures, shortly afterwards adopted to- 
wards him, were in consequence of the effect produced 
upon the sovereigns bj^ these misrepresentations. Co- 
lumbus himself deeply regretted his indiscretion, and 
foresaw the invidious use that would be made of it. It 
would be difficult to make, with equal brevity, a more 
direct and affecting appeal than that contained in one of 
his letters= wherein h6 alludes to this affair. He entreats 
the sovereigns not to let it be wrested to his injury in 
their opinion ; but to remember, when any thing should 
be said to his disparagement, that he was " absent, envi- 
ed, and a stranger." 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Discovery of Trinidad and the Coast of P aria — Arrival 
at San Botningo. [1498.] 

On the 30th May, 1498, Columbus set sail from the 
port of San Lucar de Barrameda, with a squadron of six 
vessels; on his third voyage of discovery. From various 
considerations, he was induced to take a different route 
from that pursued in his former expeditions. He had 
been assured by persons who had traded to the east, that 



OF COLUMBUS. 199 

the rarest objects of commerce such as gold, precious 
stones, drugs, and spices, were chiefly to be found in the 
regions about the equator, where tlie inhabitants were 
black or darkly coloured ; and that, until he arrived 
among people of such complexions, it was not probable 
he would find those articles in great abundance. 

Columbus expected to find such people more to the 
south and south-east. He recollected that the natives 
of Hispaniola had spoken of black men who had once 
come to their island from the south, the heads of whose 
javelins where of guanin, or adulterated gold. The na- 
tives of the Caribbee islands, also, had informed him that 
a great tract of the main land lay to the south ; and in 
his preceding voyage he had remarked that Cuba, which 
he supposed to be the continent of Asia, swept off in that 
direction. He proposed, therefore, to take his departure 
from the Cape de Verde islands, sailing to the south- 
west until he should come under the equinoctial line, 
then to steer directly westward, with the favour of the 
trade winds. 

Having touched at the islands of Porto Santo and Ma- 
deira, to take in wood and water, he continued his course 
to the Canary islands, from whence he despatched three 
of his ships direct for Hispaniola, with supplies for the 
colony. With the remaining three he prosecuted his 
voyage towards the Cape de Verde islands. The ship 
in which he sailed was decked, the other two were mer- 
chant caravals. As he advanced within the tropics, the 
change of climate, and the close and sultry weather, 
brought on a severe attack of the gout, accompanied 
by a violent fever ; but he still enjoyed the full posses- 
sion of his faculties, and continued to keep his reckon- 
ing and make his observations with his usual vigilance 
and minuteness. 



200 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

On the 5th of July, he took his departure from the 
Cape de Verde Islands, and steered to the south west 
until he arrived, according to his observations, in the 
fifth degree of north latitude. Here the. wind suddenly 
fell, and a dead, sultry calm, succeeded. The air was 
like a furnace, the tar melted from the sides of the ships, 
the seams yawned, the salt meat became putrid, the wheat 
was parched as if with fire, some of the wine and water 
casks burst, and the heat in the holds of the vessels was 
so suffocating that no one could remain below to prevent 
the damage that was taking place among the sea stores. 
The mariners lost all strength and spirits. It seemed as 
if the old fable of the torrid zone was about to be reali- 
zed, and that they were approaching a fiery region, 
where it would be impossible to exist. It is true, the 
heavens became overcast, and there were drizzling 
showers, but the atmosphere was close and stifling, and 
there was that combination of heat and moisture which 
relaxes all the energies of the human frame. 

A continuation of this weather, together with the re- 
monstrances of his crew, and his extreme suffering from 
the gout, ultimately induced him to alter his route, and 
stand to the northwest, in hopes of falling in with the 
Carribbee Islands, where he might repair his ships, and 
obtain water and provisions. After sailing some dis- 
tance in this direction, through an ordeal of heats and 
calms, and murky, stifling atmosphere, the ships all at 
once emerged into a genial region ; a pleasant, cooling 
breeze played over the sea, and gently filled their sails ; 
the sky became serene and clear, and the sun shone 
forth with all its splendour, but no longer with a burn- 
ing heat. 

On the 31st of July, when there was not above a cask 



OF COLUMBUS. 201 

of water remaining in each ship, a mariner, named Alon- 
zo Perez, descried, from the mast head, three mountains 
rising above the horizon. As .the ships drew nearer, these 
mountains proved to be united at the base. Columbus, 
therefore, from a religious association of ideas, gave this 
island the name of La Trinidad, which it continues to 
bear at the present day. 

Shaping his course for this island, he approached its 
eastern extremity, to which he gave the name of Punta 
de Galera, from a rock in the sea which resembled a gal- 
ley under sail. He then coasted along the southern 
shore, between Trinidad and the main land, which he 
beheld on the south, stretching to the distance of more 
than twenty leagues. It was that low tract of coast in- 
tersected by the numerous branches of the Orinoco ; but 
the admiral supposing it to be an island, gave it the name 
of La Isla Santa ; little imagining that he now, for the first 
time, beheld that continent, that Terra Firma, which had 
been the object of his earnest search. 

He was for several days coasting the island of Trini- 
dad, and exploring the great gulf of Paria, which lies 
behind it, fancying himself among islands, and that he 
must find a passage to the open ocean, by keeping to 
the bottom of the gulf. During this time, he was nearly 
swept from his anchors and throv/n on shore by a sudden 
rush and swell of the sea, near Point Arenal, between 
Trinidad and the main land, caused-, as is supposed, by 
the swelling of one of the rivers which flow into the gulf. 
He landed on the inside of the long promontory of Pa- 
ria, which he mistook for an island, and had various in- 
terviews with the natives, from whom he procured great 
quantities of pearls, many of a fine size a^d quality. 

There were several phenomena that surprised and per- 



202 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

plexed Columbus in the course of his voyage along this 
coast, and which gave rise to speculations, some in- 
genious and others fanciful. He was astonished at the 
vast body of fresh water continually flowing into the 
Gulf of Paria, so as apparently to sweeten the whole 
surrounding sea, and at the constant current which set 
through it, which he supposed to be produced by some 
great river. He remarked, with wondering, also, the 
difference between the climate, vegetation, and people of 
these coasts, and those of the same parallel in Africa. 
There the heat was insupportable, and the land parched 
and sterile, the inhabitants were black, with crisped wool, 
ill shapen, and of dull and brutal natures. Here, on the 
contrary, although the sun was in Leo, he found the 
noontide heat moderate, the mornings and evenings 
fresh and cool, the country green and fruitful, covered 
with beautiful forests, and watered by innumerable 
streams and fountains ; the people faifer than even those 
in the lands he had discovered further north, with long 
hair, well proportioned, and graceful forms, lively minds, 
and courageous spirits. In respect to the vast body of 
fresh water, he made one of his simple and great conclu- 
sions. Such a mighty stream could not be produced by 
an island ; it must be the outpouring of a continent. He 
now supposed, that the various tracts of land which he 
had beheld about the gulf, were connected together, and 
continued to an immense distance to the south, far be- 
yond the equator, into that hemisphere hitherto unknown 
to civilized man. As to the mild temperature of the 
climate, the fresh verdure of the country, and the com- 
parative fairness of the inhabitants, in a parallel so near 
to the equator, he attributed it to the superior elevation 
of this part of the globe ; for, from a variety of circum- 



OF COLUMBUS. 203 

stances, ingeniously but erroneously reasoned upon, he 
inferred, that philosophers had been mistaken in the form 
of the earth, which, instead of being a perfect sphere, he 
now concluded to be shaped like a pear, one part more 
elevated than the rest, rising into the purer regions of 
the air, above the heats, and frosts, and storms of the 
lower parts of the earth. He imagined this apex to be 
situated about the equinoctial line, in the interior of this 
vast continent, which he considered the extremity of the 
east ; that on this summit, as it were, of the earth, was 
situated the terrestrial paradise ; and that the vast stream 
of fresh water, which poured into the Gulf of Paria, is- 
sued from the fountain of the tree of life, in the midst of 
the garden of Eden. Extravagant as this speculation 
may seem at the present day, it was grounded on the 
writings of the most sage and learned men of those times, 
among whom the situation of the terrestrial paradise had 
long been a subject of discussion and controversy, and 
by several of whom it was supposed to be on a vast 
mountain, in the remote parts of the east. 

The mind of Columbus was so possessed by these 
theories, and he was so encouraged by the quantities of 
pearls which he had met with, for the first time in the 
new world, that he would gladly have followed up his 
discovery, not doubting but that the country would in- 
crease in the value of its productions as he approached 
the equator. The sea stores of his ships, however, were 
almost exhausted, and the various supplies with which 
they were freighted for the colony, were in danger of 
spoiling. He was suffering, also, extremely in his health. 
Besides the gout, which had rendered him a cripple for 
the greater part of the voyage, he was afflicted by a com- 
plaint in his eyes, caused by fatigue and overwatching, 



^04 THE LIFE AND V0yAGEf3 

which almost deprived him of sight. He determined, 
therefore, to hasteu to Hispaniola, intending to repose 
there from his fatigues, and recruit his health, while he 
should send his brother, the adelantado, to complete this 
important discovery. ' 

On the 14th of August, therefore, he left the gulf, by 
a narrow strait between the promontory of Paria and 
the island of Trinidad. This strait is beset with small 
islands, and the current which sets through the gulf is 
so compressed between them as to cause a turbulent sea, 
with great foaming and roaring, as if rushing over rocks 
and shoals. The admiral conceived himself in imminent 
danger of shipwreck, when passing through this strait, 
and gave it the name of La Boca del Drago, or the 
Mouth of the Dragon. After reconnoitering the coast 
to the westward, as far as the islands of Cubaga and 
Margarita, and convinced himself of its being a conti- 
nent, he bore away for Hispaniola, for the River Ozema, 
where he expected to find a new settlement, which he 
had instructed his brother to form in the neighbourhood 
of the mines. He was borne far to the westward by the 
currents, but at length reached his desired haven, where 
he arrived, haggard, emaciated, and almost blind, and 
was received with open arms by the adelantado. The 
brothers were strongly attached to each other; Don 
Bartholomew had a great deference for the brilliant 
genius, the enlarged mind, and the commanding reputa- 
tion of his brother ; while the latter placed great reli- 
ance, in times of difficulty, on the worldly knowledge, 
the indefatigable activity, and the lionhearted courage of 
the adelantado. They had both, during their long sepa- 
ration, experienced the need of each other's sympathy 
and support. 



OF COLUMBUS. 205 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Administration of the Adelantado. 

Columbus had anticipated a temporary repose from 
his toils on arriving at Hispaniola ; but a new scene of 
trouble and anxiety opened upon him, which was desti- 
ned to affect all his future fortunes. To explain this, it 
is necessary to state the occurrences of the island during 
his long detention in Spain. 

When he sailed for Europe in March, 1496, his bro- 
ther, Don Bartholomew, immediately proceeded to exe- 
cute his instructions with respect to the gold mines of 
Hayna. He built a fortress in the neighbourhood, which 
he named St. Christoval, and another fortress not far off, 
on the eastern bank of the Ozema, in th^ vicinity of the 
village inhabited by the female cacique who had first gi- 
ven intelligence of the mines to Miguel Diaz. This fort- 
ress was called San Domingo, and was the origin of the 
city which still bears that name. 

Having garrisoned these fortresses, and made arrange- 
ments for working the mines, the indefatigable Adelan- 
tado set out to visit the dominions of Behechio, which 
had not as yet been reduced to obedience. This cacique, 
as has been mentioned, reigned over Xaragua, a province 
comprising almost the whole of the west end of the 
island, including Cape Tiburon. It was one of the most 
populous and fertile districts. The inhabitants were 
finely formed, had a noble air, a more agreeable elocu- 
tion, and more soft and graceful manners, than the na- 
tives of the other part of the island. The Indians of 
Hayti generally placed their elysium, or paradise of hap- 

18 



206 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

py spirits, in the delightful valleys that bordered the 
great lake of Xaragua. 

With Behechio resided his sister Anacaona, wife of 
the late formidable Caonabo, one of the most beautiful 
females in the island, of great natural grace and dignity, 
and superior intelligence : her name in the Indian lan- 
guage signified Golden Flower. She had taken refuge 
with her brother, after the capture and ruin of her hus- 
band, but appears never to have entertained any vindic- 
tive feelings against the Spaniards, whom she regarded 
with great admiration as almost superhuman beings. 
On the contrary, she counselled her brother, over whom 
she had great influence, to take warning by the fate of 
her husband, and to conciliate their friendship. 

Don Bartholomew entered the province of Xaragua at 
the head of an armed band, putting his cavalry in the ad- 
vance, and marching with banners displayed, and the 
sound of drum and trumpet. Behechio met him with a 
numerous force, but being assured that he came merely 
on a friendly visit, he dismissed his army, and conducted 
the Adelantado to his residence in a large town, near 
the deep bay called at present the Bight of Leagon. 

As they approached, thirty young females, of the ca- 
cique's household, beautifully formed, came forth to 
meet them, waving palm branches, and dancing and 
singing their areytos or traditionary ballads. When 
they came before Don Bartholomew, they knelt and 
laid their palm branches at his feet. After these came 
the beautiful Anacaona, reclining on a litter, borne by 
six Indians. She was lightly clad in a robe of various 
coloured cotton, with a fragrant garland of red and white 
flowers round her head, and wreaths of the same round 
her neck and arms. She received the Adelantado with 



OF COLUMBUS. 207 

that natural grace and courtesy for which she was cele- 
brated. 

For several days Don Bartholomew remained in Xara- 
gua, entertained by the cacique and his sister with ban- 
quets, national games, and dances, and other festivities ; 
then having arranged for a periodical tribute to be paid 
in cotton, hemp, and cassava bread, the productions of 
the surrounding country, he took a friendly leave of his 
hospitable entertainers, and set out with his little army 
for Isabella. 

He found the settlement in a sickly state, and suffer- 
ing from a scarcity of provisions ; he distributed, there- 
fore, all that were too feeble to labour or bear arms into 
the interior, where they might have better air and more 
abundant food ; and at the same time he established a 
chain of fortresses between Isabella and San Domingo. 
Insurrections broke out among the natives of the vega, 
caused by their impatience of tribute, by the outrages of 
some of the Spaniards, and by a severe punishment in- 
flicted on certain Indians for the alleged violation of a 
chapel. Guarionex, a man naturally moderate and pa- 
cific, was persuaded by his brother caciques to take up 
arms, and a combination was formed among them to rise 
suddenly upon the Spaniards, massacre them, and de- 
stroy Fort Conception, which was situated in the vega. 
By some means the garrison received intimation of the 
conspiracy. They immediately wrote a letter to the 
Adelantado, imploring prompt assistance. How to con- 
vey the letter in safety was an anxious question, for the 
natives had discovered that these letters had a wonder- 
ful power of communicating intelligence, and fancied 
that they could talk. An Indian undertook to be the 
bearer of it. He enclosed it in a staff, and set out on 



208 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

his journey. Being intercepted, he pretended to be 
dumb and lame, leaning upon his staff for support. He 
was suffered to depart, and limped forward until out of 
sight, when he resumed his speed, and bore the letter 
safely and expeditiously to San Domingo. 

The Adelantado, with his accustomed promptness, set 
out with a body of troops for the fortress. By a rapid 
and well concerted stratagem, he surprised the leaders 
in the night, in a village in which they were sleeping, 
and carried them all off captive, seizing upon Guarionex 
with his own hand. He completed his enterprise with 
spirit, sagacity, and moderation. Informing himself of 
the particulars of the conspiracy, he punished two ca- 
ciques, the principal movers of it, with death, and par- 
doned all the rest. Finding, moreover, that Guarionex 
had been chiefly incited to hostility by an outrage com- 
mitted by a Spaniard on his favourite wife, he inflicted 
punishment on the oflender. The heart of Guarionex 
was subdued by the unexpected clemency of the Ade- 
lantado, and he made a speech to his subjects in praise 
of the Spaniards. They listened to him with attention, 
and when he had concluded, bore him off on their shoul- 
ders with songs and shouts of joy, and for some time 
the tranquillity of the vega was restored. 

About this time, receiving information from Behechio, 
cacique of Xaragua, that his tribute in cotton and pro- 
visions was ready for delivery, the Adelantado marched 
there, at the head of his forces, to receive it. So large 
a quantity of cotton and cassava bread was collected to- 
gether, that Don Bartholomew had to send to the settle- 
ment of Isabella for a caraval to be freighted with it. 
In the mean time, the utmost kindness was lavished upon 
their guests by these gentle and generous people. The 



OF COLUMBUS. ^ 209 

troubles which distracted the other parts of devoted 
Hayti had not yet reached this pleasant region; and 
when the Spaniards regarded the fertility and sweetness 
of the country, bordering on a tranquil sea, the kindness 
of the inhabitants, and the beauty of the women, they 
pronounced it a perfect paradise. 

When the caraval arrived on the coast, it was regard- 
ed by Anacaona and her brother with awe and wonder. 
Behechio visited it with his canoes ; but his sister, with 
her female attendants, were conveyed on board in the 
boat of the Adelantado. As they approached, the cara- 
val fired a salute. At the sound of the cannon, and the 
sight of volumes of smoke, bursting from the side of the 
ship and rolling along the sea, Anacaona, overcome with 
dismay, fell into the arms of the Adelantado, and her at- 
tendants would have leaped overboard, but were reassu- 
red by the cheerful words of Don Bartholomew. As 
they drew nearer the vessel, several instruments of mar- 
tial music struck up, with which they were greatly de- 
lighted. Their admiration increased on entering on 
board ; but when the anchor was weighed, the sails fill- 
ed by a gentle breeze, and they beheld this vast mass 
veering from side to side, apparently by its own will, 
and playing like a huge monster on the deep, the brother 
and sister remained gazing at each other in mute asto- 
nishment. Nothing seems ever to have filled the mind of 
the savage with more wonder than that beautiful triumph 
of human ingenuity — a ship under sail. 

While the Adelantado was thus absent quelling insur- 
rections, and making skilful arrangements for the pros- 
perity of the colony, and the advantage of the crown, 
new mischiefs were fermenting in the factious settle- 
18* 



210 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

ment of Isabella. The prime mover was Francisco 
Roldan, a man who had been raised by Columbus from 
poverty and obscurity, and promoted from one office to 
another, until he had appointed him alcalde m^yor, or 
chief judge of the island. He was an uneducated man, 
but of strong natural talents, great assiduity, and intre- 
pid impudence. He had seen his benefactor return to 
Spain, apparently under a cloud of disgrace, and, con- 
sidering him a fallen man, began to devise how he might 
profit by his downfall. He was intrusted with an office 
inferior only to that of the Adelantado ; the brothers of 
Columbus were highly unpopular ; he imagined it possi- 
ble to ruin them, both with the colonists and with the go- 
vernment at home, and by dexterous management to 
work his way into a command of the colony. For this 
purpose he mingled among the common people, threw 
out suggestions that the admiral was in disgrace, and 
would never return ; railed at the Adelantado and Don 
Diego as foreigners, who took no interest in- their wel- 
fare, but used them merely as slaves to build houses and 
fortresses for them, or to swell their state, and secure 
their power, as they marched about the island, enriching 
themselves with the spoils of the caciques. By these 
seditious insinuations, he exasperated their feelings to 
such a degree, that they at one time formed a conspiracy 
to assassinate the Adelantado, but it was happily discon- 
certed by accident. 

When the caraval returned from Xaragua, laden with 
provisions, it was dismantled by order of Don Diego, 
and drawn upon the beach. Roldan immediately seized 
upon this circumstance to awaken new suspicions. He 
said the true reason for dismantling the caraval was to 



OF COLUMBUS 211 

prevent any of the colonists returning in it to Spain, 
to represent the oppressions under which they suffered. 
He advised them to launch and take possession of the 
vessel, as the only means of regaining their indepen- 
dence. They might then throw off the tyranny of these 
upstart foreigners, and might lead a life of ease and 
quiet, employing the Indians as slaves, and enjoying un 
limited indulgence with respect to the Indian women. 

Don Diego was informed of these seditious move- 
ments, but he was of a mild, pacific nature, and deficient 
in energy. Fearing to come to an open rupture in the 
mutinous state of the colony, he thought to divert Rol- 
dan from his schemes by giving him distant and active 
employment. He detached him suddenly, therefore, 
with a small force, to overawe the Indians of the vega, 
who had shown a disposition to revolt. Roldan made 
use of this opportunity to organise an armed faction. 
He soon got seventy well, armed and resolute men at his 
command, disposed to go all desperate lengths with him, 
and he made friends and partisans among the discontent- 
ed caciques, promising to free them from tribute. He 
now threw off the mask, and openly set the Adelantado 
and his brother at defiance, as men who had no authority 
from the crown, but were appointed by Columbus, who 
was himself in disgrace. He pretended always to act in 
his official capacity, and to do every thing from loyal 
motives, and every act of open rebellion was accompa- 
nied with shouts of " Long live the king !" Having en- 
deavoured repeatedly to launch the caraval, but in vain, 
he broke open the royal stores, and supplied his fol- 
lowers with arms, clothing, and provisions, and then 
marched off to the vega, and attempted to surprise and 



212 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

get possession of Fort Conception, but was happily foil- 
ed by its commander, Miguel Ballester, a staunch old sol- 
dier, both resolute and wary, who kept the enemy at bay 
until succour should arrive. 

The conspiracy had attained a formidable head during- 
the absence of the Adelantado, several persons of conse- 
quence having joined it, among, whom was Adrian de 
Moxica, and Diego de Escobar, the latter being alcayde 
of the fortress of La Madalena. Don Bartholomew was 
perplexed at first, and could not act with his usual vi- 
gour and decision, not knowing in whom he could con- 
fide, or how far the conspiracy had extended. On re- 
ceiving tidings, however, from Miguel Ballester, of the 
danger of Fort Conception, he threw himself, with what 
forces he could collect, into that fortress, and held a par- 
ley with Roldan from one of the windows, ordering hiin 
to surrender his staff of office as alcalde mayor, and sub- 
mit peaceably to superior authjority. All threats and re- 
monstrances, however, were vain ; Roldan persisted in 
his rebellion. He represented the Adelantado as the ty- 
rant of the Spaniards, the oppressor of the Indians ; and 
himself as the redresser of wrongs and champion of the 
injured. He sought, by crafty emissaries, to corrupt the 
garrison of Fort Conception, and seduce them to desert, 
and laid plans to surprise and seize upon the Adelantado, 
should he leave the fortress. 

The affairs of the island were now in a lamentable si- 
tuation. The Indians, perceiving the dissentions among 
the Spaniards, and encouraged by the protection of Rol- 
dan, ceased to send in their tributes, and threw off al- 
legiance to the government. Roldan's band daily gain- 
ed strength, and ranged insolently and at large about 



OF COLUMBUS. 213 

the country ; while the Spaniards who remained loyal, 
fearing conspiracies among the natives, had to keep un- 
der shelter of the forts. Munitions of all kinds were 
rapidly wasting, and the spirits of the well-affected were 
sinking into despondency. The Adelantado himself re- 
mained shut up in Fort Conception, doubtful of the fide- 
lity of his own garrison, and secretly informed of the 
plots to capture or destroy him, should he venture 
abroad. Such was the desperate state to which the colo- 
ny was reduced by the long detention of Columbus in 
Spain, and the impediments thrown in the way of all his 
endeavours to send out supplies and reinforcements. 
Fortunately, at this critical juncture, the arrival of two 
ships, under command of Pedro Hernandez Coronal, at 
the port of San Domingo, with troops and provisions, 
strengthened the hands of Don Bartholomew. The 
royal confirmation of his title and authority of Adelan- 
tado at once put an end to all question of the legitimacy 
of his power, and secured the fidelity of his soldiers ; 
and the tidings that the admiral was in high favour at 
court, and on the point of coming out with a powerful 
squadron, struck consternation into the rebels, who had 
presumed upon his having fallen into disgrace. 

The Adelantado immediately hastened to San Domin- 
go, nor was there any attempt made to molest him on 
his march. When he found himself once more secure, 
his magnanimity prevailed over his indignation, and he 
sent Pedro Hernandez Coronal, to offer Roldan and his 
band amnesty for all offences, on condition of instant 
obediertce. Roldan feared to venture into his power, 
and determined to prevent the emissary from communi- 
cating with his followers, lest they should be induced to 



214 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

return to their allegiance. When Coronal approached 
the encampment of the rebels, therefore, he was opposed 
in a narrow pass by a body of archers wdth their cross- 
bows levelled. "Halt there, traitor!" cried Roldan : 
" had you arrived eight days later, we should all have 
been united." 

It was in vain that Coronal endeavoured to win this 
turbulent man from his career. He professed to oppose 
only the tyranny and misrule of the Adelantado, but to 
be ready to submit to the admiral on his arrival, and he 
and his principal confederates wrote letters to that effect 
to their friends in San Domingo. 

When Coronal returned with accounts of Roldan's 
contumacy, the Adelantado proclaimed him and his fol- 
lowers traitors. That shrewd rebel, however, did not 
suffer his men to remain within the reach either of pro- 
mise or menace. He proposed to them to march off, 
and establish themselves in the remote province of Xara- 
gua. The Spaniards, who had been there, had given the 
most alluring accounts of the country and its inhabitants, 
and above all of the beauty of the women, for they had 
been captivated by the naked charms of the dancing 
nymphs of Xaragua. In this delightful region, emanci- 
pated from the iron rule of the Adelantado, and relieved 
from the necessity of irksome labour, they might lead a 
life of perfect freedom and indulgence, with a world of 
beauty at their command. In short, Roldan drew a pic- 
ture of loose sensual enjoyment, such as he knew to be 
irresistible with men of idle and dissolute habits. His 
followers acceded with joy to his proposition ; so, put- 
ting himself at their head, he marched away for Xaragua. 
Scarcely had the rebels departed, when fresh insure 



OF COLUMBUS. 



215 



rections broke out among the Indians of the vega. The 
cacique Guarionex, moved by the instigations of Rol- 
dan, and forgetful of his gratitude to Don Bartholomew, 
entered into a new league to destroy the Spaniards, and 
surprise Fort Conception. The plot exploded before its 
time, and was defeated ; and Guarionex hearing that the 
Adelantado was on the march for the vega, fled to the 
mountains of Ciguay, with his family, and a small band 
of faithful followers. The inhabitants of these moun- 
tains were the most robust and hardy tribe of the island, 
and the same who had skirmished with the Spaniards 
in the Gulf of Samana, in the course of the first voy- 
age of Columbus. The reader may remember the frank 
and confiding faith with which their cacique trusted him- 
self on board of the caraval of the admiral, the day af- 
ter the skirmish. It was to this same cacique, named 
Mayonabex, that the fugitive chieftain of the vega ap- 
plied for refuge, and he received a promise of protec- 
tion. 

Indignant at finding his former clemency of no avail, 
the Adelantado pursued Guarionex to the mountains, at 
the head of ninety men, a few cavalry, and a body of 
Indians. It was a rugged and difficult enterprise ; the 
troops had to climb rocks, wade rivers, and make their 
way through tangled forests, almost impervious to men 
in armour, encumbered with targets, crossbows, and 
lances. They were continually exposed, also, to the 
ambushes of the Indians, who would rush forth with fu- 
rious yells, discharge their weapons, and then take re- 
fuge again among rocks and thickets, where it was in 
vain to follow them. Don Bartholomew arrived, at 
length, in the neighbourhood of Cape Cabron, the resi- 



216 THE LII*E A.ND VOYAGES 

dence of Mayonabex, and sent a messenger, demanding 
the surrender of Guarionex, promising friendship in case 
of compliance, but threatening to lay waste his territory 
with fire and sword, in case of refusal. " Tell the Span- 
iards," said the cacique, in reply, " that they are tyrants, 
usurpers, and shedders of innocent blood, and I desire 
not their friendship. Guarionex is a good man, and my 
friend. He has fled to me for refuge ; I have promised 
him protection, and I will keep my word." 

The cacique, in fact, adhered to his promise with ad- 
mirable faith. His villages were burnt, his territories 
were ravaged, himself and his family driven to dens and 
caves of the mountains, and his subjects assailed him 
with clamours, urging him to give up the fugitive, who 
was bringing such ruin upon their tribe. It was all in 
vain. He was ready, he declared, to abide all evils, ra- 
ther than it should ever be said Mayonabex betrayed his 
guest. 

For three months the Adelantado hunted these ca- 
ciques among the mountains, during which time he and 
his soldiers were almost worn out with toil and hunger, 
and exposures of all kind. The retreat of Mayonabex 
was at length discovered. Twelve Spaniards, disgui- 
sing themselves as Indians, and wrapping their swords 
in palm leaves, came upon him secretly, and surprised 
and captured him, with his wife and children, and a few 
attendants. The Adelantado returned, with his prison- 
ers, to Fort Conception, where he afterwards released 
them all, excepting the cacique, whom he detained as a 
hostage for the submission of his tribe. The unfortu- 
nate Guarionex still lurked among the caverns of the 
mountains, but was driven, by hunger, to venture down 



OF COLUMBUS. 217 

occasionally into the plain, in quest of food. His haunts 
were discovered, he was waylaid and captured by a par- 
ty of Spaniards, and brought in chains to Fort Concep- 
tion. After his repeated insurrections, and the extraor- 
dinary zeal displayed in his pursuit, he anticipated death 
from the vengeance of the Adelantado. Don Bartholo- 
mew, however, though stern in his policy, was neither 
vindictive nor cruel ; he contented himself with detain- 
ing him a prisoner, to insure the tranquillity of the 
vega ; and then returned to San Domingo, where, short- 
ly afterwards, he had the happiness of welcoming the 
arrival of his brother, the admiral, after a separation of 
nearly two years and a half. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Rebellion of Roldan. [1498.] 

One of the first measures of Columbus, on his arrival, 
was to issue a proclamation, approving of all that the 
Adelantado had done, and denouncing Roldan and his 
associates. That turbulent man had proceeded to Xara- 
gua, where he had been kindly received by the natives. 
A circumstance occurred to add to his party and his 
resources. The three caravals detached by Columbus 
fr6m the Canary Islands, and freighted with supplies, ha- 
ving been carried far west of their reckoning by the cur- 
rents, arrived on the coast of Xaragua. The rebels were 
at first alarmed lest they should be vessels despatched in 
pursuit of them. Roldan, who was as sagacious as he was 

19 



218 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

bold, soon divined the truth. Enjoining the iitinost 
secrecy on his men, he went on board, and pretending to 
be in command at that end of the island, succeeded in 
procuring a supply of arms and military stores, and in 
making partizans among the crews, many of whom were 
criminals and vagabonds from Spanish prisons, shipped 
in compliance with the Admiral's ill judged proposition. 
It was not until the third day that Alonzo Sanchez de 
Carvajal, the most intelligent of the three captains, dis- 
covered the real character of the guests he had entertain- 
ed, but the mischief was then effected. 

As the ships were detained by contrary winds, it was 
arranged among the captains that a large number of the 
people should be conducted by land to San Domingo, by 
Juan Aiitonio Colonbo, captain of one of the caravals, 
and a relation of the admiral. He accordingly landed 
with forty men, well armed, but was astonished to find 
himself suddenly deserted by all his party excepting 
eight. The deserters joined the rebels, who received 
them with shouts of exultation. Juan Antonio, grieved 
and disconcerted, returned on board with the few who 
remained faithful. Fearing further desertions, the ships 
immediately put to sea ; but Carvajal giving his vessel in 
charge to his officers, landed and remained with the rebels, 
fancying he had perceived signs of wavering in Roldan 
and some of his associates, and that, by earnest persua- 
sion, he might induce them to return to their allegiance. 
The certainty that Columbus was actually on the way to 
the island, with additional forces, and augmented authori- 
ty, had, in fact, operated strongly on their minds ; but all 
attempts to produce immediate submission was in vain. 
Roldan promised that the moment he heard of the arri- 
val of Columbus, he would repair to the neighbourhood 



OF COLUMBUS. 219 

of San Domingo, to be at hand to state his grievances, 
and to enter into a negociation for the adjustment of all 
differences. He wrote a letter to the same purport, to be 
delivered to the admiral. With this Carvajal departed, 
and Was escorted to within six leagues of San Domingo, 
by six of the rebels. On reaching that place he found 
Columbus already arrived, and delivered to him the 
letter of Roldan, expressing at the same time an opinion, 
that the insurgents might easily be brought to their alle- 
giance by an assurance of amnesty. In fact, the rebels 
soon began to assemble at the village of Bonao, in a fine 
valley of the same name, about twenty leagues from San 
Domingo, and ten from Fort Conception. Here they 
made their head quarters at the house of Pedro Re- 
guelme, one of the ringleaders. 

Columbus immediately wrote to Miguel Ballester, the 
commander of Fort Conception, advising him to be on 
his guard. He empowered him to have an interview 
with Roldan, to offer him full pardon on condition of 
his immediate return to duty, and to invite him to repair 
to San Domingo to treat with the admiral, under a solemn, 
and, if required, a written assurance of personal safety. 
At the same time he issued a proclamation, offering free 
passage to all who wished to return to Spain, in five ves- 
sels about to put to sea, hoping, by this means, to relieve 
the colony from all the idle and disaffected. 

Ballester was an old and venerable man, grayheaded, 
and of a soldierlike demeanour ; he was loyal, frank, and 
virtuous, of a serious disposition, and great simplicity of 
heart. His appearance and character commanded the 
respect of the rebels ; but they treated the proffered par- 
don with contemipt, made many demands of an arrogant 
nature, and declared that in all further negociations, 



220 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

they would treat with no mediator but Carvajal, having 
had proofs of his fairness and impartiality, in the course 
of their late communications with him at Xaragua. 

This insolent reply was totally different from what the 
admiral had been taught to expect. He now ordered the 
men of San Domingo to appear under arms, that he 
might ascertain the force with which he could take the 
field in case of necessity. A report was immediately 
circulated, that they were to be led to Bonao, against the 
rebels ; some of the inhabitants had relations, others 
friends, among the followers of Roldan ; almost all were 
disaffected to the service ; not above seventy men appear- 
ed under arms ; one affected to be ill, another lame ; there 
were not forty to be relied upon. 

Columbus saw that a resort to arms would only serve 
to betray his own weakness, and the power of the rebels ; 
it was necessary to temporize, therefore, however humi- 
liating such conduct might be deemed. His first care, 
was to dispatch the five ships which he had detained in 
port, until he should receive the reply of Roldan. He 
was anxious that as many as possible of the discontented 
colonists should sail for Spain, before any commotion 
should take place. He wrote to the sovereigns an ac- 
count of his late voyage, giving an eiithusiastic descrip- 
tion of the newly discovered continent,, accompanied by 
a chart of the coast, and specimens of the pearls which 
Jie had procured from the natives. ^ >. 

He informed the sovereigns, also, of the rebellipn of 
Roldan ; and as the latter pretended it was only a quarrel 
between him and the adelantado, he begged the matter 
might be investigated by their majesties, or by persons 
friendly to both parties. Among other judicious requests, 
he entreated that a man learned and experienced in the 



OF COLUMBUS. 221 

law, might be sent out to officiate as judge over the 
island. 

By this opportunity Roldan and his friends Ukewise 
sent letters to Spain, endeavouring to justify their rebel- 
lion, by charging Columbus and his brothers with oppres- 
sion and injustice, and painting their whole conduct in 
the blackest colours. It would naturally be supposed, 
that the representations of such men would have little 
weight in the balance against the tried merits and ex- 
alted services of Columbus; but they had numerous 
friends and relations in Spain, to back them-; Columbus 
was a foreigner, without influence in the court, and with 
active enemies near the sovereigns, ever ready to place 
his conduct in an unfavourable light. 

The ships being dispatched, the admiral resumed his 
negociation with the rebels. As the burden of their 
complaint was the strict rule of his brother, who was 
accused of dealing out justice with a rigorous hand, he 
resolved to try the alternative of extreme lenity, and 
wrote a letter to Roldan, calling to mind past kindnesses, 
and entreating him, for the sake of his own reputation, 
which stood well with the sovereigns,, not to persist in 
his present insubordination. He again repeated his as- 
surance, that he and his companions might come to 
treat with* him at San Domingo, under the faith of his 
word, for the inviolability of their persons. 

There was a difficulty as to who should be the bearer 
of this letter. The rebels had declared that they would 
receive no mediator, but Alonzo Sanchez de Carvajal. 
Strong suspicions existed in the minds of many as to the 
integrity of that officer, from his transactions with the 
rebels at Xaragua, and his standing so high in their 
favour. Columbus, however, discarded all those suspi- 
19* 



223 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

cions, and confided implicity on Carvajal, nor had he 
ever any cause to repent of his confidence. 

A painful and humiliating negociation was now carried 
on for several days, in the course of which Roldan had 
an interview with Columbus at San Domingo, and several 
letters passed between them. The rebels felt their 
power, and presumed, in consequence, to demand the 
most extravagant concessions. Miguel Ballester wrote 
at the same time to the admiral, advising him to agree 
to whatever they might demand. He represented their 
forces as continually augmenting, and that the soldiers 
of his garrison were daily deserting to them, and gave 
it as his opinion, that unless some compromise were 
speedily effected, and the rebels shipped off for Spain, 
not merely the authority, but even the person of the 
admiral would be in danger ; for though the hidalgos 
and the immediate officers and servants about him, would 
doubtless die in his service, yet he feared that the com- 
mon people were but little to be depended upon. 

Thus urged by veteran counsel, and compelled by 
circumstances, Columbus at length made an arrangement 
with the rebels, by which it was agreed, that Roldan and 
his followers should embark for Spain, from the port of 
Xaragua, in two ships which should be fitted out and 
victualled within fifty days. That they sh6uld each 
receive from the admiral a certificate of good conduct, 
and an order for the amount of their pay up to the actual 
date. That slaves should be given them, as had been 
given to colonists, in consideration of services perform- 
ed ; and that such as had wives, natives of the island, 
might take them with them in place of slaves. Thai 
satisfaction should be made for property of some of the 



OF COLUMBUS. 223 

company, which had been sequestrated, and for live 
stock which had belonged to Francis Roldan. 

It was a grievous circumstance to Columbus, that the 
vessels which should have borne his brother to explore 
the newly discovered continent, had to be devoted to the 
transportation of this turbulent and worthless rabble ;* 
but he consoled himself with the idea that, the faction 
being once shipped off, the island would again be restored 
to tranquillity. The articles of arrangement being signed, 
Roldan and his followers departed for Xaragua, to await 
the arrival of the ships ; and Columbus, putting his bro- 
ther Don Diego in temporary command, set off with the 
adelantado on a tour to visit the various fortresses, and 
restore every thing to order. , 

In the mean while, unavoidable delays took place in 
fitting out the ships, and they encountered violent storms 
in their voyage from San Domingo to Xaragua, so as to 
arrive there long after the stipulated time, and that in a 
damaged condition. The followers of Roldan seized 
upon this as a pretext to refuse to embark, affirming that 
the ships had been purposely delayed, and eventually 
sent in a state not seaworthy, and short of provisions. 
New negociations were therefore set on foot, and new 
terms demanded. It is probable that Roldan feared to 
return to Spain, and his followers were loth to give up 
their riotous and licentious life. In the midst of his per- 
plexities, Columbus received a letter from Spain, in reply 
to the earnest representations which he had made of the 
distracted state of the colony, and of the outrages of 
these licentious men. It was written by his invidious 
enemy the Bishop Fonseca, superintendant of Indian 
affairs. It informed him that his representations of the 
alleged rebelHon had been received, but that the matter 



^24 THE LIFE AND VOYAGEg 

must be suffered to remain in suspense, as the sovereigns 
w^ould investigate and remedy it presently. 

This cold reply had the most disheartening effect 
upon Cqlumbus, while it increased the insolence of. the 
rebels, who saw that his complaints had little weight with 
the government. Full of zeal, however, for the prose- 
cution of his discoveries, and of fidelity to the Interests 
of the crown, he resolved, at any sacrifice of pride or 
comfort, to put an end to the troubles of the island. 
He departed therefore, .in the latter part of August, with 
two caravals, to the port of Azna, accompanied by se- 
veral of the most important personages of the colony, 
to give Roldan a meeting. The latter, in this interview, 
conducted himself pore like a conqueror exacting terms, 
than a delinquent seeking pardon. Among other things, 
he demanded that such of his followers, as chose to re- 
main in the island, should have lands assigned them, and 
that he should be reinstated in his office of alcalde 
mayor, or chief judge. The mind grows wearied and 
impatient with recording, and the heart of the generous 
reader must burn with indignation at perusing, this pro- 
tracted and ineffectual struggle, of a man of the exalted 
merits and matchless services of Columbus, in the toils 
of such contemptible miscreants. Surrounded by doubt 
and danger, a foreigner among a jealous people, an un- 
popular commander in a mutinous island, distrusted and 
slighted by the government he was seeking to serve, and 
creating suspicions by his very services, he knew not 
where to look for faithful advice, efficient aid, or candid 
judgment. He was alarmed too by symptoms of sedi- 
tions among his own people, who talked of following 
the example of the rebels, and seizing upon the province 
of Higueyi Thus critically situated, he signed a humili- 



OF COLUMBUS. 22& 

ating capitulation with the rebels, trusting he should 
afterwards be able to convince the sovereigns it had 
been compulsory, and forced from him by the perils that 
threatened himself and the colony. 

When Roldan resumed his office of alcalde mayor, he 
displayed all the arrogance to be expected from one, 
who had intruded himself into power by profligate 
means. Columbus had a difficult and painful task in 
bearing with the insolence of this man, and of the 
shameless rabble that returned, under his auspices, to 
San Domingo. In compliance with the terms of agree- 
ment, he assigned them liberal portions of land, and nu- 
merous Indian slaves, taken in the wars, and contrived 
to distribute them in various places, some in Bonao, 
others in different parts of the vega. He made an ar- 
rangement, also, by which the caciques in their vicinity, 
instead of paying tribute, should furnish parties of their 
subjects, at stated times, to assist in the cultivation of 
their lands ; a kind of feudal service, which was the ori- 
gin of the repartimientos, or distributions of free Indians 
amcjng the colonists, afterwards generally adopted and 
shamefully abused throughout the Spanish colonies, and 
which greatly contributed to exterminate the natives 
from the island of Hispaniola. 

Having obtained such ample provisions for his follow- 
ers, Roldan was not more modest in making demands for 
himself. Besides certain lands in the vicinity of Isabella, 
which he claimed, as having belonged to him before his 
rebellion, he received a royal farm, called La Esperanza, 
in the vega, and extensive tracts in Xaragua, with live 
stock and repartimientos of Indians. 

One of the first measures of Roldan as alcalde mayor, 
was to appoint Pedro Reguelme, one of his most active 



236 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

confederates, alcalde of Bonao, an appointment which 
gave great displeasure to Columbus, being an assump- 
tion of power not vested in -the office of Roldan. The 
admiral received private information, also, that Re- 
guelme, Under pretext of erecting a farm-house, was build- 
ing a strong edifice on a hill, capable of being converted 
into a fortress ; this, it "was whispered, was done in con- 
cert with Roldan, by way of securing a strong hold in 
case of need. The admiral immediately sent perempto- 
ry orders for Reguelme to desist from proceeding with 
the construction of the edifice. 

Columbus had proposed to return to Spain, having ex- 
perienced the inefficiency of letters in explaining the af- 
fairs of the island ; but the feverish state of the colony 
obliged him to give up the intention. The two caravals 
were dispatched in October, taking such of the colonists 
as chose to return, and among them several of the parti- 
zans of Roldan, some of whom took Indian slaves with 
them, and others carried away the daughters of ca- 
ciques, whom they had beguiled from their homes and 
families. 

Columbus wrote by this opportunity to the sovereigns, 
giving it as his opinion, that the agreement he had made 
with the rebels was by no means obligatory on the crown, 
having been, in a manner, extorted by violence. He re- 
peated his request, that a learned man might be sent out 
as judge, and desired, moreover, that discreet persons 
might be appointed to form a council, and others for cer- 
tain fiscal employments, intreating, however, that their 
powers might be so limited and defined as not to inter- 
fere with his dignities and privileges. Finding age and 
infirmity creeping upon him, he began to think of his son 
Diego as an active coadjutor, being destined to succeed 



OF COLUMBUS. 237 

t<5 his offices. He was still a page at court, but grown to 
man's estate, and capable of entering into the important 
concerns of life ; he begged, therefore, that he might be 
sent out to assist him. 



CHAPTER XXXn. 

Visit of Ojeda to the west end of the island. Conspiracy 
ofMoxica. [1499.] 

About this time, reports were brought to Columbus, 
that four ships had anchored at the western part of the 
island, a little below Jacquemel, apparently with the de- 
sign of cutting dye woods and Carrying off the natives 
for slaves. They were commanded by Alonzo de Ojeda, 
the same hot-headed and bold-hearted cavalier who had 
distinguished himself by the capture of Caonabo. 
Knowing the daring and adventurous spirit of this man^ 
the admisal was disturbed at his visiting the island in this 
clandestine manner. To call him to account, however, 
required a man of spirit and address. No one seemed 
fitter for the purpose than Roldan. He was as daring 
as Ojeda, and of a more crafty character. An expedition 
of this kind would occupy the attention of himself and 
his partizans, and divert them from any schemes of 
mischief. 

Roldan gladly undertook the enterprise. He had 
nothing further to gain by sedition, and was anxious 
to secure his ill gotten possessions by public services, 
which should atone for past offences. Departing from 
St. Domingo, with two caravals, he arrived, on the 26th 



?J38 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

of September,, within two leagues of the harbour where 
the vessels of Ojeda were anchored. Here, landing with 
five and twenty resolute men, he intercepted Ojeda, who 
was on an excursion several leagues from his ships, and 
demanded his motives for landing on that remote and 
lonely part of the island, without first reporting his arri- 
val to the admiral. Ojeda replied, that he had been on 
a voyage of discovery,, and had put in there in distress, 
to repair his ships and obtain provisions. On further in- 
quiry it appeared, that Ojeda had happened to be in 
Spain at the time that the letters arrived from Columbus, 
giving an account of his discovery of the coast of Paria, 
accompanied by specimens of the pearls to be found 
there. Ojeda was a favourite with Bishop Fonseca, and 
obtained a sight of the letter, and the charts and mapg 
of the route of Columbus. He immediately conceived 
the idea of an expedition to those parts, in which he was 
encouraged by Fonseca, who furnished him with copies 
of the papers and charts, and granted him a letter of 
license, signed by himself, but not by the sovereigns. 
Ojeda fitted out four ships at Seville, assisted by many 
eager and wealthy speculators ; and in this squadron 
sailed Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine merchant, well 
acquainted with geography and navigation," who eventu- 
ally gave his name to the whole of the new world. 
The expedition sailed in May, 1499. The adventurers 
arrived on the southern continent, and ranged along it, 
from two hundred leagues east of the Oronoco to the 
gulf of Paria. Guided by the charts of Columbus, they 
passed through this gulf, and through the Boca del Dra- 
go, kept along westward to Cape de la Vela, visiting the 
island of Margarita, and the adjacent continent, and dis- 
covering the gulf of Venezuela. They had subsequent- 



OF COLUMBUS. 229 

ly touched at the Caribbee Islands, where they had 
fought with the fierce natives, and made many captives, 
with the design of selling them in the slave markets of 
Seville. From thence, they had sailed for Hispaniola, 
to procure supplies, having performed the most exten- 
sive voyage hitherto made along the shores of the new 
world. 

Ojeda assured Roldan that he intended, as soon as his 
ships were ready, to go to San Domingo and pay his 
homage to the admiral. Trusting to this assurance, and 
satisfied with the information he had obtained, Roldan 
sailed for San Domingo to make his report. Nothing, 
however, was farther from the intention of Ojeda than to 
keep his promise. As soon as his ships were ready for 
sea, he sailed round to the coast of Xaragua. Here he 
was well received by the Spaniards, resident in that pro- 
vince, among whom were many of the late comrades of 
Roldan. Knowing the rash and fearless character of 
Ojeda, and finding that there were jealousies between 
him and the admiral, they made clamourous complaints 
of the injustice of the latter, whom they accused of 
withholding from them the arrears of their pay. Ojeda, 
who knew the tottering state of the admiral's favour 
at court) and felt secure in the powerful protection of 
Fonseca, immediately proposed to put himself at their 
head, march at once to San Domingo, and oblige the 
admiral to satisfy their just demands. The proposition 
was received with transport by some of the rebels; 
but others demurred, and a furious brawl ensued, in 
which several were killed and wounded on both sides ; 
the party for the expedition to San Domingo remained 

triumphant. 

20 



THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Fortunately for the peace and safety of the admiral^ 
Roldan, who had received news of the movements of 
Ojeda, arrived in the neighbourhood at this critical junc- 
ture, with a band of resolute followers, and was rein- 
forced on the following day by his old confederate, 
Diego de Escobar, with additional forces. Ojeda retired 
to his ships ; a long course of manoeuvring took place 
between these well matched adversaries, -each striving to 
gain an advantage of the other. Ojeda at length was 
obliged to abandon the coast, and made sail for some 
other island, to make up his cargo of indian slaves. 

The followers of Roldan took great merit to them- 
selves for their unwonted loyalty in driving Ojeda from 
the island ; and, like all reformed knaves, expected that 
their good conduct would be amply rewarded. Looking 
upon their leader as having every thing in his gift, they 
requested him to share among them the fine province of 
Cahay, adjoining to Xaragua. Roldan, who was now 
anxious to establish a character of adherence to the law, 
declined acceding to their wishes, until sanctioned by the 
admiral; but, to soothe their impatient rapacity, he shared 
among them the lands which had been granted to him in 
Xaragua. While he was remaining in this neighbour- 
hood, other troubles broke out, and from somewhat of a 
romantic cause. A young cavalier of noble family, named 
Hernando de Guevara, cousin to Adrian de Moxica, one 
of the ringleaders of the late rebellion, was banished 
from San Domingo for licentious conduct, and sent to 
Xaragua, to embark in the ships of Ojeda, but arrived 
after their departure. He was treated with indulgence by 
Roldan, on account of his old comrade, Adrian de Moxica, 
and was favourably received at the house of the female 
cacique, Anacaona. That remarkable woman still re- 



OF COLUMBUS. 231 

tained her partiality to the Spaniards, notwithstanding 
the disgraceful scenes that had passed before her eyes. 
By her late husband, Caonabo, she had a daughter, 
named Higuenamota, just grown up, and greatly admired 
for her beauty. Guevara became enamoured of her. He 
possessed an agreeable person, and winning manners, 
though he was headstrong in his passions, and destitute 
of principle. His endearments soon won the heart of 
the simple indian girl. Anacaona, the mother, pleased 
with the gallant appearance and ingratiating manners of 
the youthful cavalier, favoured his attachment; especially 
as he sought her daughter in marriage. Roldan was 
himself attached to the young indian beauty, and jealous 
of her preference of his rival. He exerted his authority 
to separate the lovers, and banished Guevara to the pro- 
vince of Cahay. The latter soon returned, and conceal- 
ed himself in the dwelling of Anacaona. Being dis- 
covered, and finding Roldan implacable in his opposition 
to his passion, he now meditated revenge. He «?oon 
made a party among the old comrades of Roldan, who 
detested as a* magistrate the man they had idolized as a 
leader. It was concerted to rise suddenly upon him, and 
either to kill him or put out his eyes. The plot was dis- 
covered, Guevara was seized in the dwelling of Anacao- 
na, in the presence of his intended bride ; seven of his 
accomplices were likewise arrested, and the prisoners 
were sent to the fortress of San Domingo, 

When Adrian de Moxica heard that his cousin Guevara 
was arrested, and that too by his former confederate Rol- 
dan, he was highly exasperated. He hastened to the old 
haunt of rebellion, at Bonao, and claimed the co-operation 
of Pedro Reguelme, the newly appointed alcalde. It was 
readily yielded. They went round among their late felf 



THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

low rebels, who were settled in the vega, and had soon 
a daring body of reckless men, ready with horse and 
weapon, for any desperate enterprise. Moxica, in his 
fury, meditated not merely the rescue of his cousin, but 
the death of Roldan and the admiral. 

Columbus was at Fort Conception, with an inconsider- 
able force, when he heard of this dangerous plot, con- 
certed in his very neighbourhood. He saw that his 
safety depended upon prompt and vigorous measures. 
Taking with him but six or seven trusty servants, and 
three esquires, all well armed, he came suddenly upon the 
conspirators in the night, seized Moxica and several of 
his principal confederates, and bore them off to Fort Con- 
ception. Resolving to set an example that should strike 
terror into the factious, he ordered that Moxica should be 
hanged on the top of the fortress. The latter entreated 
to be allowed a confessor. A priest was sent for. The 
miserable culprit, who had been so daring in rebellion, 
lost *ill courage at the near approach of death. He de- 
layed, and hesitated in his confession, as if hoping by 
whiling away time, to give a chance for rescue. Instead 
of confessing his own sins, he began to accuse others, 
until Columbus, losing all patience, in his mingled in- 
dignation and scorn, ordered the dastard wretch to be 
flung from the battlements. 

This sudden act of severity was promptly followed 
up. Pedro Reguelme was taken, with several of his 
compeers, in his ruffian den at Bonao, and conveyed to 
the fortress of San Domingo. The conspirators fled for 
the most part to Xaragua, where they were pursued by 
the adelantado, seconded by Roldan, and hunted out of all 
their old retreats. Thus in a little while the power of 
faction v/as completely subdued. 



OF COLUMBUS. 233 

Columbus considered this happy event as brought 
about by the especial intervention of heaven, and gives 
in proof of it an instance of one of those visionary 
fancies by which he seems to have been visited at times 
when his mind was distempered by illness or anxiety. 
In the preceding winter, during the height of his cares 
and troubles, he had sunk into a state of despondency. 
In one of his gloomy moods, he heard, he says, a voice 
which thus addressed him : " Oh man of little faith! fear 
nothing, be not cast down. I will provide for thee. 
The seven years of the term of gold are not expired.* 
In that and in all other things I will take care of thee." 
On that very day, he adds, he received intelligence 
of the discovery of a number of gold mines. The 
imaginary promise of divine aid appeared to him still to 
be performing. The troubles and dangers which had sur- 
rounded him, were breaking away, and order was coming 
out of confusion. He now looked forward to the pro- 
secution of his grand enterprises, the exploring the 
coast of Paria, and the establishment of a pearl fishery 
in its waters. How illusive were his hopes ! at this very 
moment those events were maturing that were to over- 
whelm him with distress, strip him of his honours, and 
render him comparatively a wreck for the remainder of 
his days ! 

* Alluding- to his vow, that within seven years he would furnish an 
army for a crusade, from his share of the gold to be found in the new- 
world. 20* 



234 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Intrigues against Columbus in the Spanish court. Ap' 
pointment of Bohadilla as commissioner. His arrival 
at San Domingo. [1500.] 

While Columbus had been involved in a series of 
difficulties in the factious island of Hispaniola, his ene- 
mies had been but too successful in undermining his 
reputation in the court of Spain. Every vessel that 
returned from the New World, came freighted with 
complaints, representing the character and conduct of 
Columbus and his brothers in the most odious point 
of view, and reiterating the illiberal, but mischievous 
insinuation that they were foreigners, who had nothing 
but their own interest and gratification in view. It was 
even alleged that Columbus intended to cast off all alle- 
giance to Spain, and either- to make himself sovereign 
of the countries he had discovered, or to yield them into 
the hands of some other power ; a slander which, how- 
ever extravagant, was calculated to startle the jealous 
mind of Ferdinand. The Bishop Fonseca, and other 
enemies of Columbus who were about the court, having 
continual access to the sovereigns, were enabled to place 
every thing urged against him in the strongest point of 
view, while they destroyed the force of his vindications 
They had a plausible logic by which to convict him of 
either bad management or bad faith. There was an in- 
cessant drain upon the mother country for the support 
of the colony. Was this compatible, they asked, with 
the extravagant pictures he had drawn of the wealth of 
the island, and its golden mountains, in which he had 



OP COLUMBUS. 235 

pretended to find the Ophir of ancients days, the so.urce 
of the riches of King Solomon. They inferred that he 
had either deceived the sovereigns by exaggerations, or 
grossly wronged them by malpractices, or that he was 
totally incapable of the duties of government. 

For the purpose of irritating the pride of the king, 
every repining man who returned from the colony, was 
encouraged to put in claims for arrears of pay withheld 
by Columbus, or losses sustained in his service. A gang 
of the disorderly ruffians who had been shipped off to 
free the island from their seditions, found their way to 
the court at Granada. They followed the king when he 
rode out, filling the air with complaints, and clamouring 
for their pay. About fifty of them assembled one day, 
in the main court of the Alhambra, under the royal 
apartments, holding up bunches of grapes, as the meagre 
diet to which they were reduced by their poverty, and 
by the cruel deceits of Columbus. Seeing the two sons 
of the admiral pass by, who were pages to the queen, 
they followed them with imprecations. "There go," 
cried they, " the whelps of him who discovered the 
land of vanity and delusion, the grave of Spanish 
hidalgos !" 

The incessant repetition of falsehood will gradually 
wear its way into the most candid mind. Isabella her- 
self began to entertain doubts respecting the conduct of 
Columbus. If he and his brothers were upright, they 
might be injudicious, and mischief is oftener produced 
j in government through error of judgment than iniquity 
I of design. Isabella doubted, but the jealous Ferdinand 
felt convinced. He had never regarded Columbus with 
( real cordiality, and ever since he had ascertained the im- 
portance of his discoveries, had regretted the exten- 



S36 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

sive powers he had vested in his hands. He how re- 
solved to send out some person to investigate the affairs 
of the colony, and, if necessary for its safety, to assume 
the command. This measure had actually been decided 
upon, and the papers drawn out, early in 1499 ; but, from 
Viarious reasons, had been postponed. It is probable 
Isabella opposed so harsh a step against a man for whom 
she entertained an ardent gratitude and high admiration. 
The arrival of the ships with the late followers of Roldan, 
brought matters to a crisis. The king listened entirely to 
the representations of the rebels, and a circumstance 
took place, which, for a time, suspended the friendship of 
Isabella, the great safeguard of Columbus. 

The followers of Roldan brought with them a num- 
ber of slaves, some of which Columbus had been com- 
pelled to grant them by the articles of capitulation, 
others had been conveyed away clandestinely. Among 
them were several daughters of caciques, who had been 
seduced from their homes by these profligates. Some 
were in a state of pregnancy, others had new-born 
infants. The gifts and transfers of these unhappy be- 
ings were all represented as voluntary acts of Colum- 
bus. The sensibility of Isabella as a woman, and her 
dignity as a queen, were instantly in arms, " What 
right," exclaimed she, indignantly, " has the admiral to 
give away my vassals ?" She immediately ordered all 
the Indians to be restored to their homes ; nay, more, 
ahe commanded that those which had formerly been 
seat to Spain by the admiral, should be sought out 
and reshipped to Hispaniola. Unfortunately for Colum- 
bus, at this very juncture, in one of his letters, he advi- 
sed the continuance of Indian slavery for some time 
longer, as a measure important to the welfare of the co- 



OF COLUMBUS. 237 

lony. This contributed to heighten the indignation of 
Isabella, and induced her no longer to oppose the send- 
ing out a commissioner to investigate his conduct, and, 
if necessary, to supersede him in command. 

The person chosen for this most momentous office, 
was Don Francisco de Bobadilla, an officer of the royal 
household, and a commander of the military and religious 
order of Calatrava. He is represented by some as a 
very honest and religious man ; by others, and with ap- 
parent justice, as needy, passionate, and ambitious, 
three powerful objections to his acting as judge in a 
case where the utmost caution and candour were re- 
quired, and where he was to derive wealth and power 
from the conviction of one of the parties. 

Bobadilla arrived at San Domingo on the 23d of Au- 
gust, 1500. Before entering the harbour, he learnt from 
a canoe which came off from the shore, that the admiral 
and the adelantado were absent in the interior of the 
island, and Don Diego in command. He was told of the 
recent insurrection of Moxica, and the punishments 
which had followed. Seven of the rebels had been 
hanged that week, and five more were in the fortress of 
San Domingo, condemned to suffer the same fate. 
Among these were Pedro Reguelme, the factious alcalde 
of Bonao, and Fernando de Guevara, the young cavalier 
whose passion for the daughter of Anacaona had been 
the original cause of the rebellion. As the vessels enter- 
ed the river, Bobadilla beheld on either bank a gibbet, 
with the body of a Spaniard hanging on it. He consi- 
dered all these circumstances as conclusive proofs of the 
alleged cruelty of Columbus. 

The report had already circulated in the city, that a 
commissioner had arrived to make inquisition into the 



S38 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

late troubles. Many hastened on board the ship to pay- 
early court to this public censor; and as those who sought 
to secure his favour, were those who had most to fear 
from his scrutiny, it is evident that the nature of their 
communications were generally unfavourable to the ad- 
miral. In fact, before Bobadilla landed, if not before he 
arrived, the culpability of the admiral was decided in his 
mind. He acted accordingly. He made proclamations 
at the church door, in presence of Don Diego and the 
other persons in authority, of his letters patent, authori- 
zing him to investigate the rebellion, and proceed against 
delinquents ; and in virtue of these, he demanded that 
Guevara, Reguelme, and the other prisoners, should be de- 
livered up to him, with the depositions taken in their cases. 

Don Diego declared he could do nothing of the kind 
without the authority of the admiral, and requested a 
copy of the letters patent, that he might send it to his 
brother. This Bobadilla refused, and added, that since 
the office he proclaimed appeared to have no weight, he 
would try what efficacy there was in the name of go- 
vernor. On the following day, therefore, he had an- 
other royal patent read, investing him with the govern- 
ment of the islands, and of Terra Firma ; an authority 
which he was only to have assumed on absolute proof of 
the delinquency of Columbus. This letter being read, 
he again demanded the prisoners, and was again refused ; 
Don Diego observing, that they were held in obedience 
to the admiral, to whom the sovereigns had granted let- 
ters of a higher nature. 

Bobadilla now produced a mandate from the crown, 
ordering Columbus and his brothers to deliver up all for- 
tresses, ships, and other royal property ; and another, 
ordering that the arrears of wages due to all persona 



OF COLUMBUS. 239 

in the royal service should be immediately paid, and the 
admiral compelled to pay the arrears of those to whom 
he was individually accountable. 

This last document was received with shouts by the 
multitude, to many of whom long arrears were due, 
in consequence of the poverty of the treasury. Flush- 
ed with his growing importance and popularity, Boba- 
dilla again demanded the prisoners, and receiving the 
same reply, he proceeded to the fortress, and made a 
formal demand of them of the Alcayde Miguel Diaz. 
The latter refused to surrender them to any one but the 
admiral. Upon this, the whole spirit of Bobadilla was 
aroused. He assembled the sailors of the ships, and the 
rabble of the place, marched them to the prison, broke 
open the door, which readily gave way, while some oi 
his myrmidons put up ladders to scale the walls. The 
Alcayde Miguel Diaz, and Don Diego de Alvarado, ap- 
peared on the battlements with drawn swords, but offer- 
ed no resistance. The fortress, having no garrisoji, was 
easily carried, and the prisoners were borne off in tri- 
umph, and given in custody to an alguazil. 

Such was the entrance into office of Francisco de Bo- 
badilla, and he continued his career in the same spirit, 
acting as if he had been sent out to degrade the admiral, 
not to inquire into his conduct. He took up his resi- 
dence in the house of Columbus, seized upon his arms, 
gold, plate, jewels, horses, books, letters, and most secret 
manuscripts, giving no account of the property thus 
seized, paying out of it the wages of those to whom the 
admiral was in arrears, and disposing of the rest as if al- 
ready confiscated to the crown. To increase his favour 
with the people, he proclaimed a general licence for 
twenty years, to seek for gold, exacting merely one 



S40 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

eleventh for government^ instead of a third, as hereto- 
fore. At the same time, he used the most unqualified 
language in speaking of Columbus, hinted that he was 
empowered to send him home in chains, and declared, 
that neither he, nor any of his lineage, would ever again 
be permitted to govern the island. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Columbus arrested and sent to Spain, [1500.] 

When Columbus received tidings at Fort Conception 
of the high-handed proceedings of Bobadilla, he consi- 
dered them the unauthorized act of some rash adventu- 
rer; but the proclamation of his letters patent, which 
immediately took place throughout the island, soon 
convinced him he was acting under authority. He 
endeavoured then to persuade himself that Bobadilla was 
sent out to exercise the functions of chief judge, in com- 
pliance with the request contained in one of his own let- 
ters to the sovereigns, and that he was perhaps intrusted 
with provisional powers to inquire into the late troubles 
of the island. All beyond these powers, he tried to believe 
were mere assumptions, and exaggerations of authority, 
as in the case of Aguado. His consciousness of his own 
services and integrity, and his faith in the justice of the 
sovereigns, forbade him to think otherwise. He proceeded 
to act on this idea; writing temperate and conciliatory let- 
ters to Bobadilla, cautioning him against his precipitate 
measures, while he endeavoured by counter proclamations 
to prevent the mischief he was producing. Messengers 



OF COLUMBUS. 241 

soon arrived, however, who delivered to him a royal let- 
ter of credence, commanding him to give implicit faith 
and obedience to Bobadilla, and they gave him, at the 
same time, a summons from the latter to appear before 
him immediately at San Domingo. This laconic letter 
from the sovereigns struck at once at the root of his dig- 
nity and power ; he made no longer any hesitation or 
demur, but departed alone and almost unattended, to 
obey the peremptory summ.ons of Bobadilla. The lat- 
ter, in the mean time, had made a bustle of preparation, 
and mustered the troops, affecting to believe a vulgar 
rumour, that Columbus had called on the caciques of the 
vega, to aid him in resisting the commands of the go- 
vernment. He moreover arrested Don Diego, threw him 
in irons, and confined him on board of a caraval, without 
assigning any cause for his imprisonment. 

No sooner did he hear of the. arrival of Columbus, 
than he gave orders to put him also in irons, and to con- 
fine him in the fortress. 

This outrage to a person of such dignified and venera- 
ble appearance, and such eminent merit, seemed for a 
time to shock even his enemies. When the irons were 
brought, every one present shrunk from the task of put-, 
ting them on him, either out of a sentiment of compas- 
sion at so great a reverse of fortune, or out of habitual 
reverence for his person. To fill the measure of ingrati- 
tude meted out to him, it was one of his own servants 
that volunteered to rivet his fetters. 

Columbus conducted himself with characteristic mag- 
nanimity under the injuries heaped upon him. There is 
a noble scorn which swells and supports the heart, and 
silences the tongue of the truly great, when enduring 
the insults of the unworthy. Columbus could not stoop 

21 



242 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

to deprecate the arrogance of a weak and violent man 
like Bobadilla. He looked beyond this shallow agent, 
and all his petty tyranny, to the sovereigns who had em- 
ployed, him. It was their injustice and ingratitude alone 
that could wound his spirit ; and he felt assured that 
when the truth came to be known, they would blush to 
find how greatly they had wronged him. With this 
proud assurance, he bore all present indignities in silence. 
He even wrote, at the demand of Bobadilla, a letter to 
the adelantado, who was still in Xaragua, at the head of 
an armed force, exhorting him to submit quietly to the 
will of the sovereigns. Don Bartholomew immediately 
complied. Relinquishing his command, he hastened 
peacefully to San Domingo, and on arriving, experienced 
the same treatment with his brothers, being put in irons, 
and confined on board of a caraval. They were kept 
separate from each other, and no communication per- 
mitted between them. Bobadilla did not see them him- 
self, nor did he allow others to visit them; and they 
were kept in total ignorance of the crimes with which 
they were charged, and the proceedings that were insti- 
tuted against them. 

The old scenes of the time of Aguado were now re- 
newed, with tenfold virulence. All the old charges were 
revived, and others added, still more extravagant in their 
nature. Columbus was accused of having prevented the 
conversion of the Indians, that they might be sold as 
slaves. With having secreted pearls collected on the 
coast of Paria, and kept the sovereigns in ignorance of 
the nature of his discoveries there, in order to exact 
new privileges from them.^ Even the late tumults were 
turned into matters of accusation, and the rebels admit- 
ted as evidence. The well merited punishments inflicted 



, OF COLUMBUS. 243 

upon certain of the ringleaders, were cited as proofs of 
a cruel and revengeful disposition, and a secret hatred of 
Spaniards. Guevara, Reguelme, and their fellow con- 
victs, were discharged almost without the form of a trial. 
Roldan, from the very first, had been treated vrith con- 
fidence by Bobadilla ; all the others, whose conduct had 
rendered them liable to justice, received either a special 
acquittal or a general pardon. 

Bobadilla had no.w collected testimony sufficient, as he 
thought, to ensure the condemnation of the prisoners, 
and his own continuance in command. He determined, 
therefore, to send home the admiral and his brothers in 
chains, in the vessels which were ready for sea, with 
the inquest taken in their case, and private letters enfor- 
cing the charges made against them. 

San Domingo now swarmed with miscreants, just de- 
livered from the dungeon and the gibbet. Every base 
spirit which had been overawed by Columbus and his 
brothers when in power, now hastened to revenge itself 
upon them when in chains. The most injurious slanders 
were loudly proclainied in the streets, pasquinades and 
libels were posted up at the corners, and horns blown in 
the neighbourhood of their prisons, to taunt them with 
the exultings of the rabble. 

The charge of conducting the prisoners to Spain, was 
given to Alonzo de Villejo, an officer who was in the 
employ of Bishop Fonseca. He was instructed, on ar- 
riving at Cadiz, to deliver his prisoners into the hands of 
the Bishop, which circumstance has caused a belief that 
Fonseca was the secret instigator of all these violent 
proceedings. Villejo, however, was a man of honoura- 
ble character, and generous feelings, and showed himself 
superior to the low malignity of his patrons. When he ar- 



244 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

rived with a guard to conduct the admiral from the prison 
to the ship, he found him in chains in a state of deep 
despondency. So violently had he been treated, and so 
savage were the passions let loose against him, that he 
had began to fear he should be sacrificed without an op- 
portunity of being heard, and that his name would go 
down to posterity sullied with imputed crimes. 

When the officer entered with the guard, he thought it 
was to conduct him to the scaffold. ." Villejo," said he 
mournfully, "whither are you taking me?" "To the 
ship, your excellency, to embark," replied the other. 
*'To embark!" repeated the admiral earnestly. "Villejo, 
do you speak the truth?" "By the life of your excel- 
lency," replied the honest officer, "' it is true !" With 
these words the admiral was comforted, and felt as one 
restored from death to life. 

The caravals set sail early in October, bearing off 
Columbus shackled like the vilest of culprits, amidst the 
scoffs and shouts of a miscreant rabble, who took a 
brutal joy in heaping insults on his venerable head, and 
sent curses after him from the island he had so recently 
added to the civilized world. Fortunately the voyage was 
favourable and of moderate duration, and was rendered 
less irksome to Columbus, by the conduct of those to 
whom he was given in custody. The worthy Villejo, as well 
as Andreas Martin, the master of the caraval, felt deeply 
grieved at his situation, and always treated him with 
profound respect and assiduous attention. They would 
have taken off his irons, but to this he would not con- 
sent. " No," said he, proudly, " their majesties com-, 
manded me by letter to submit to whatever Bobadilla 
should order in their name ; by their authority he has 
put upon me these chains ; 1 will wear them until they 



OF COLUMBUS. 245 

shall order them to be taken off, and I will afterwards 
preserve them as relics and memorials of the reward of 
my services." 

" He did so," adds his son Fernando, in his history ; " I 
saw them always hanging in his cabinet, and he request- 
ed that when he died they might be buried with him !" 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Arrival of Columbus in Spain. His interview with the 
Sovereigns. Appointment of Ovando to the Govern^ 
ment of Hispaniola. [1500.] 

The arrival of Columbus at Cadiz, a prisoner, and in 
chains, produced almost as great a sensation as his tri- 
umphant return from his first voyage. A general burst of 
indignation arose in Cadiz, and in the powerful and opu- 
lent Seville, which was immediately echoed throughout 
all Spain. No one stopped to reason on the subject. It 
was sufficient to be told that Columbus was brought home 
in chains from the world he had discovered. 

The tidings reached the court of Granada, and filled 
the halls of the alhambra with murmurs of astonishment, 
On the arrival of the ships at Cadiz, Andreas Martin, the 
captain, had permitted Columbus to send off letters pri- 
vately by express. The admiral, full of his wrongs, but 
ignorant how far they had been authorized by the sove- 
reigns, forbore to write to thenl. He sent a long letter, 
however, to a lady of the court, high in favour with the 
queen, and who had been nurse to Prince Juan. It con- 
tained an ample vindication of his conduct, couched in 
31* 



246 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

eloquent, and dignified and touching language. When it 
was read to the noble minded Isabella, and she found how 
grossly Columbus had been wronged, and the royal 
authority abused, her heart was filled with mingled sym- 
pathy and indignation. 

However Ferdinand might have secretly felt disposed 
against Columbus, the momentary tide of public senti- 
ment was not to be resisted. He joined with his gene- 
rous queen, in her reprobation of the treatment of the 
admiral. Without waiting to receive any documents that 
might arrive from Bobadilla, they sent orders to Cadiz 
that the prisoners should be instantly set at liberty, and 
treated with all distinction, and that two thousand ducats 
should be advanced to Columbus to defray the expenses 
of his journey to court. They wrote him a letter at the 
same time, expressing their grief at all that he had suf- 
fered, and inviting him to Granada. 

The loyal heart of Columbus was cheered by this letter 
from his sovereigns. He appeared at court, not as a man 
ruined and disgraced, but Hchly dressed, and with an 
honourable retinue. He was received by their majesties 
with unqualified favour and distinction. When the queen 
beheld this venerable man approach, and thought on all 
he had deserved, and all that he had suffered, she was 
moved to tears. Columbus had borne up firmly against 
the stern conflicts of the world ; he had endured with 
lofty scorn the injuries and insults of ignoble men, but 
he possessed strong and quick sensibility. When he 
found himself thus kindly received, and beheld tears in 
the benign eyes of Isabella, his long suppressed feelings 
burst forth ; he threw himself upon his knees, and for 
some time could not utter a word for the violence of his 
tears and sobbings. 



OF COLUMBUS. 247 

Ferdinand and Isabella raised him from the ground, 
and endeavoured to encourage him by the most gracious 
expressions. As soon as he regained his self-possession, 
he entered into an eloquent and high-minded vindication 
of his loyalty, and the zeal he had ever felt for the glory 
and advantage of the Spanish crown ; if, at any time, he 
had erred, it had been, he said, through inexperience in 
the art of governing, and through the extraordinary dif- 
ficulties by which he had been surrounded. 

There was no need of vindication on his part. He 
stood in the presence of his sovereigns a deeply injured 
man, and it remained for them to vindicate themselves to 
the world, from the charge of ingratitude towards their 
most deserving subject. They expressed their indigna 
tion at the proceedings of Bobadilla, which they disa- 
vowed, as contrary to his instructions ; they promised 
that he should be immediately dismissed from his com- 
mand, and Columbus reinstated in all his privileges and 
dignities, and indemnified for the losses he had sustain- 
ed. The latter expected, of course, to be immediately 
sent back in triumph to San Domingo, as viceroy and 
admiral of the Indies ; but in this he was doomed to ex- 
perience a disappointment, which threw a gloom over 
the remainder of his days. The fact was, that Ferdi- 
nand, however he may Ifave disapproved of the violence 
of Bobadilla, was secretly well pleased with its effects. 
It had produced a temporary exclusion of Columbus from 
his high offices, and the politic monarch determined, in 
his heart, that he should never be restored to them. He 
had long repented having vested such great powers and' 
prerogatives in any subject, -particularly in a foreigner; 
but at the time of granting them, he had no idea of the 
extent of the countries over which they would be exer* 



248 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

cised. Recent discoveries, made by various individuals, 
showed them to be almost boundless. Vincente Yanez 
Pinzon, one of the brave and intelligent family of jiavi- 
gators that had sailed with ColumbuS in his first voyage, 
had lately crossed the line, and explored the shores of 
the southern continent, as far as Cape St. Augustine. 
Diego Lepe, another bold navigator of Palos, had 
doubled that cape, and beheld the continent stretching 
away out of sight, to the southwest. The report of eve- 
ry discoverer put it beyond a doubt, that these countries 
must be inexhaustible in wealth, as they appeared to be 
boundless in extent. Yet over all these Columbus was 
to be viceroy, with a share in their productions, and the 
profits of their trade, that must yield him an incalculable 
revenue. The selfish monarch appeared almost to con- 
sider himself outwitted in the arrangeiyient he had made ; 
and every new discovery, instead of increasing his feel- 
ing of gratitude to Columbus, seemed only to make him 
repine at the growing magnitude of his reward, 
t Another grand consideration with the monarch was, 
that Columbus was no longer indispensable to him. He 
had madiB his great discovery ; he had struck out the 
route to the New World, and now any one could follow 
it. A number of able navigators had sprung up under 
his auspices, who were daily besieging the throne with 
offers to fit out expeditions at their own cost, and to yield 
a share of the profits to the crown. Why should he, 
therefore, confer princely dignities and prerogatives for 
that, which men were daily offering to perform gra- 
tuitously? 

Such, from his after conduct, appears to have been the 
jealous and selfish policy which actuated Ferdinand in 
forbearing to reinstate Columbus in those dignities and 



OF COLUMBUS. 249 

privileges which had been solemnly granted to him by- 
treaty,- and which it was acknowledged he had never 
forfeited by misconduct. Plausible reasons, however, 
were given for delaying his re-appointment. It was ob- 
served, that the elements* of those factions, which had 
recently been ia arms, yet existed in the island, and 
might produce fresh troubles, should Columbus return 
immediately. It was represented as advisable, therefore, 
to send some officer of talent and discretion to supersede 
Bobadilla, and to hold the government for two years, by 
which time all angry passions M'ould be allayed, and tur- 
bulent individuals removed. Columbus might then re- 
sume the command, with comfort to himself, and advan- 
tage to the crown. With this arrangement the admiral 
was obliged to content himsfelf. 

The person chosen to supersede Bobadilla was Don 
Nicholas de Ovando, commander of Lares, of the order of 
Alcantara. He is described as being of the middle size, 
with a fair complexion, a red beard, a modest look, yet a 
tone of authority ; fluent in speech, courteous in man- 
ners, prudent, just, temperate, and of great humility 
Such is the picture drawn of him by some of his contem 
poraries ; yet he appears, from his actions, to have been 
plausible and subtle, as well as fluent and courteous ; 
his humility concealed a great love of command ; he was 
a merciless scourge to the Indians, and in his dealings 
with Columbus he was both upgenerous and unjust. 

While the departure of Ovando was delayed by various 
circumstances, every arrival brought intelligence of the 
disastrous state of the island, under the administration of 
Bobadilla. The latter was not so much a bad, as an im- 
prudent and a weak man. Imagining rigorous rule to 
be the rock on which his predecessors had split, he had, 



250 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

at the very outset, relaxed the reigns of justice and mo- 
rality, and, of course, had lost all command over the 
community. In a little while such disorder and licen- 
tiousness ensued, that many, even of the opponents of 
Columbus, looked back with regret to the strict but 
wholesome rule of himself and the Adelantado. 

One dangerous indulgence granted to the colonists 
called for another, and each was ceded, in its turn, by 
Bobadilla. He sold the farms and estates of the crown 
at low prices, and granted universal permission to work 
the mines, on paying only an eleventh of the produce 
to government. To prevent any diminution in the re- 
venues, it became necessary to increase the quantity of 
gold collected. He enforced, therefore, the repartimien- 
tos, by which, the caciques were obliged to furnish par- 
ties of their subjects to work for the Spaniards in the 
field and in the mine. To carry these into more com- 
plete effect, he made an enumeration of the natives of 
the island, reduced them into classes, and distributed 
them, according to his favour or caprice, among the 
colonists. His constant exhortation to the Spaniards 
was, to produce large quantities of gold. " Make the 
most of your time," he would say, " there is no know- 
ing how long it will last ;" alluding to the possibility of 
his being speedily recalled. The colonists acted up to 
his advice, and so hard did they drive the poor natives, 
that the eleventh yielded more revenue than had ever 
been produced by the third, under the government of 
Columbus. In the mean time, the unhappy Indians 
sunk under the toils imposed upon them, and the severi- 
ties by which they were enforced. A capricious tyran- 
ny was exercised over them by worthless men, numbers 
of whom had been transported convicts from the dun- 



OP COLUMBUS. 251 

geons of Castile. These wretches assumed the tone of 
grand cavaliers, and insisted upon being attended by 
trains of servants : they took the daughters and female 
relatives of caciques for their servants or their concu- 
bines. In travelling, they obliged- the natives to trans- 
port them en their shoulders in litters or hammocks, 
while others held umbrellas of palm leaves oVer their 
heads, and cooled them with fans of feathers. Some*- 
times the backs and shoulders of the unfortunate In- 
dians who bore the litters were raw and bleeding from 
the task. When these arrogant upstarts arrived at an 
Indian village, they Capriciously seized upon and lavish- 
ed the provisions of the inhabitants, and obliged the 
cacique and his subjects to dance for their amusement. 
They never addressed the natives but in the most de- 
grading terms ; and for the least offence, or in a mere 
freak of ill humour, they would inflict blows and lashes, 
and even death itself. 

The tidings of these abuses, and of the wrongs of the 
natives, grieved the spirit of Isabella, and induced her 
to urge the departure of Ovando. He was empowered 
to assume the command immediately on his arrival, and 
to send home Bobadilla by the return fleet. Hispaniola 
was to be the metropolis of the colonial government, 
which was to extend over the islands and Terra Firma. 
Ovando was to correct the late "abuses, to revoke the im- 
proper licenses granted by Bobadilla, to lighten the bur- 
dens imposed upon the Indians, and to promote their re- - 
ligious instruction. He was, at the same time, to ascer- 
tain the injury sustained by Columbus in his late arrest 
and imprisonment, and the arrears of revenue that were 
due to him, that he might receive ample redress and 
compensation. The admiral was to be allowed a resi- 



S53 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

dent agent in the island, to attend to his affairs and guard 
his interests, to which office Columbus immediately ap- 
pointed Alonzo Sanchez de Carvajal. 

Among various decrees on this occasion, we find the 
first trace of negro slavery in the new world. It was 
permitted to transport to the colony negro slaves born in 
Spain, th*e children and descendants of natives brought 
ft-om Guinea, where the slave trade had for some time 
.been carried on by the Spaniards and Portuguese. — 
There are signal events in the course of history, which 
sometimes bear the appearance of temporal judgments. 
It is a fact worthy of observation, 'that Hispaniola, the 
place where this flagrant sin against nature and humani- 
ty was first introduced into the new world, has been the 
first to exhibit an instance of awful retribution. 

The fleet appointed to convey Ovando to his govern- 
ment put to sea on the 13th of February, 1502. It was 
the largest armament that had yet sailed to the new 
world, consisting of thirty sail, of various sizes, provi- 
ded with all kinds of supplies for the colony. Twenty- 
five hundred souls embarked in this fleet, many of them 
persons of rank, with their families. Ovando was al- 
lowed a brilliant retinue, a body guard of horsemen, and 
the use of silks, brocades, and precious stones, at that 
time forbidden by the sumptuary laws of Spain. Such 
was the style in which a favourite of Ferdinand, a na- 
tive subject of rank, was fitted out to enter upon the gOr 
vernment withheld from Columbus. 



OF •COLUMBUS. 253 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Proposition of Columhus for a Crusade — His Prepara' 
tionsfor a fourth Voyage, [1500 — 1501.] 

Columbus remained in the city of Granada upwards 
of nine months, awaiting employment, and endeavour- 
ing to retrieve his affairs from the confusion into which 
they had been thrown; During this gloomy period, he 
called to mind his vow to furnish, within seven years 
from the tim^ of his discovery of the new world, an 
army of fifty thousand foot and five thousand horse, for 
the recovery of the holy sepulchre. The time had elap- 
sed, the vow remained unfulfilled, and the expected trea- 
sures that were to pay the army had never been realised. 
Destitute, therefore, of the means of accomplishing his 
pious purpose, he considered it his duty to incite the 
sovereigns to the enterprise ; and he felt emboldened to 
do so, from having originally proposed it as the great 
object to which the profits of his discoveries should be 
directed. He- set to work, therefore, with his accustom- 
ed zeal, to prepare arguments for the purpose. Aided 
by a Carthusian friar, he collected into a manuscript vo- 
lume all the passages in the sacred scriptures and in the 
writings of the fathers, which he conceived to contain 
mystic portents and prophecies of the discovery of the 
new world, the conversion of the gentiles, and the re- 
covery of the holy sepulchre ; three great events which 
he considered destined to succeed each other, and to be 
accomplished through his agency. He prepared, at the 
same time, a long letter to the sovereigns, written with 

22 



254 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

his usual fervour of spirit and simplicity of heart, 
urg^ing them to set on foot a crusade for the conquest of 
Jerusalem. It is a singular composition, which lays 
open the visionary part of his character, and shows the 
mystic and speculative reading with which he was ac* 
customed to nurture his solemn and soaring imagina- 
tion.* 

It must be recollected that this was a scheme medita- 
ted in melancholy and enthusiastic moods, in the courts 
of the alhambra, among the splendid remains of Moorish 
grandeur, where, but a few years before, he had beheld 
the standard of the faith elevated in triumph above the 
symbols of infidelity. It was in unison w\^h the temper 
of the times, when the cross and sword frequently went 
together, and religion was made the pretext for the most 
desolating wars. Whether Columbus ever presented 
this book to the sovereigns is uncertain ; it is probable 
that he did not, as his thoughts suddenly returned, with 
renewed ardour, to their wonted channels, and he con- 
ceived a leading object for another enterprise of dis- 
covery. 

Vasco de Gama had recently accoipplished the long 
attempted navigation to India by the Cape of Good 
Hope, and Pedro Alvarez Cabral, following in his track, 
had returned with his vessels laden with the precious 
merchandise of the east. The riches of Calicut were 
now the theme of every tongue. The discoveries of 
the savage regions of the new world had as yet brought 
but little r<5venue to Spain, but this route to the East In- 
dies was pouring in immediate wealth upon Portugal. 

* The manuscript volume, including the letter, still exists in the Co- 
lumbian library of the cathedral of Seville, and has been inspected with 
great interest by the writer of this history. 



OF COLUMBUS, 255 

Columbus was roused to emulation, and trusted he 
could discover a route to those oriental regions more 
easy and direct than that of Vasco de Gama. Accord- 
ing to his own observations, and the reports of other 
navigators, the coast of Terra Firma stretched far to 
the westward. The southern coast of Cuba, which he 
considered a part of the Asiatic continent, stretched on- 
ward towards the same point. The currents of the Ca- 
ribbean, sea must pass between these lands. He was 
persuaded, therefore, that a strait must exist somewhere 
thereabout, opening into the Indian sea. The situation 
in which he placed his conjectural strait was somewhere 
about what is at present called the Isthmus of Darien. 
Could he but discover such a passage, and thus link the 
new world he had discovered with the opulent oriental 
countries of the old, he felt that he should make a mag- 
nificent close to his labours. 

He unfolded his plan to the sovereigns, and, though it 
met with some narrow-minded opposition on the part of 
certain of the royal councillors, it was promptly adopt- 
ed, and he was empowered to fit out an armament to 
carry it into effect. He accordingly departed for Se- 
ville in the autumn of 1501, to make the necessary pre- 
parations ; but such were the delays caused by the arti- 
fices of Fonseca and his agents, that it was not until the 
following month of May that he was able to put to sea. 

Before sailing, he took' measures to provide against 
any misfortune that might happen to himself in so dis- 
tant and perilous an expedition. He caused copies to 
be made and authenticated, of all the royal letter pa- 
tent of his dignities and privileges ; of his letters to the 
purse of Prince Juan, containino: a vindication of his 



250 • THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

conduct ; and of two letters assigning to the bank of St. 
George, at Genoa, a tenth of his revenues, to be employ- 
ed in diminishing the duties on provisions in his native 
city. These two sets of documents he sent by different 
hands to his friend, Doctor Nicolo Odorigo, who had 
been Genoese ambassador to the court of Spain, request- 
ing him to deposit them in some safe place at Genoa, 
and to apprize his son Diego of the same. 

He wrote also to Pope Alexander VII. mentioning his 
vow to furnish an army for a crusade, but informing 
him of his being prevented from fulfilling it by being 
divested of his government. He promised his holiness, 
however, on his return from his present voyage, to re- 
pair immediately to Rome, and render him an account 
of all his expeditions. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Columbus sails on his fourth Voyage — Events at the 
Island of Hispaniola — His search after an imaginary 
Strait. [1502.] 

Age was rapidly making its advances upon Columbus, 
when he undertook his fourth voyage of discovery. He 
was now about sixty-six years old. His constitution, 
originally vigorous in the extreme, had been impaired 
by hardships and exposures in every clime, and by the 
mental sufferings he had undergone. His intellectual 



OF COLUMBUS. 257 

powers alone retained their wonted energy, prompting 
him, at a period of life when most men seek repose, to 
sally forth, with youthful ardour, on the most toilsome 
and adventurous of enterprises. In this arduous voyage 
he was accompanied by his brother Don Bartholomew, 
who commanded one of the vessels, and by his son Fer- 
nando, then in his fourteenth year. 

Columbus sailed from Cadiz on the 9th of May, 1502. 
His squadron consisted of four caravals, the largest of 
but seventy tons burthen, the smallest of fifty ; the crews 
amounted in all to one hundred and fifty men. With 
this little armament, and these slender barks, he under- 
took the search after a strait, which, if found, must 
conduct him into the most remote seas, and lead to a 
complete circumnavigation of the globe. After touch- 
ing at the Canaries, he had a prosperous voyage to the 
Caribbee islands, arriving on the 15th of June at Manti- 
nino, at present called Martinique. He had originally 
intended to steer to Jamaica, and from thence for the 
continent in search of the supposed strait; but one of 
his vessels proving a dull sailer, he bore away for His- 
paniola, to exchange it for one of the fleet which had 
recently taken out Ovando. This was contrary to his 
orders, which had expressly forbade him to touch at His- 
paniola until his return homewards, lest, his presence 
should cause some agitation in the island ; he trusted, 
however, the circumstances of the case would plead his 
excuse. 

Columbus arrived off the harbour of San Domingo at 
an unpropitious moment. The place was filled with the 
most virulent of his enemies, many of whom were in 
a high state of exasperation from recent proceedings 



258 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

which had taken place against them. The fleet which 
had brought out Ovando, lay in the harbour ready to put 
to sea, and was to take out Roldan, and many of his late 
adherents, some of whom were under arrest, and to be 
tried in Spain. Bobadilla was to embark in the princi- 
pal ship, on board of which he had put an immense 
amount of gold, the revenue collected for the govern- 
ment during his administration, and which he confident- 
ly expected would atone for all his faults. Among the 
presents he intended for the sovereigns was one mass of 
virgin gold, which is famous in the old Spanish chroni- 
cles. It was said to weigh three thousand six hundred 
castillanos. Large quantities of gold had also been 
shipped in the fleet by the followers of Roldan, and 
other adventurers ; the wealth gained by the suflJerings 
of the unhappy natives. 

It was on the 29th of June that Columbus arrived at 
the mouth of the river, and sent an officer on shore to 
explain to the governor the purpose of his visit ; he re- 
quested permission, moreover, to shelter his squadron in 
the river, as he apprehended an approaching storm. His 
request was refused by Ovando, who probably had or- 
ders from the sovereigns to that effect, and perhaps was 
further swayed by prudent considerations. Columbus 
then sent a second message, entreating that the sailing 
of the fleet might be delayed, as there were indubitable 
signs of an approaching tempest. This request was as 
fruitless as the preceding ; the weather, to an inexpe- 
rienced eye, was fair and tranquil, and the warning of 
the admiral was treated with ridicule, as the prediction 
of a false prophet. 

Columbus retired from the river, indignant at being 



OF COLUMBUS. 25Q 

denied relief, and refused shelter, in the very island which 
he had discovered. His crew murmured loudly at being 
excluded from a port of their own nation, where even 
strangers, under similar circumstances, would be admit- 
ted, and they repined at having embarked with a com- 
mander who was liable to such treatment. Columbus, 
feeling confident that a storm was at hand, kept his feeble 
squadron close to shore, and sought for shelter in som.e 
wild bay or river of the island. 

In the mean time, the fleet of Bobadilla set sail from San 
Domingo, and stood out confidently to sea. Within two 
days the predictions of Columbus were verified. One 
of those tremendous storms which sometimes sweep those 
latitudes, had gradually gathered up and began to blow. 
The little squadron of Columbus remained for a time 
tolerably well sheltered by the land, but the tempest in- 
creasing, and the night coming on, with unusual dark- 
ness, the ships lost sight of each other, and were separa- 
ted. The admiral still kept close to the shore, and sus- 
tained no damage. The three other vessels ran out for 
sea room, and for several days were driven about at the 
mercy of wind and wave, fearful each moment of ship- 
wreck, and giving up each other as lost. The adelantado, 
who commanded the worst vessel of the squadron, ran the 
most imminent hazard, and nothing but his consummate 
seamanship enabled him to keep her afloat ; he lost his 
long boat, and all the other vessels sustained more or less 
injury. At length, after various vicissitudes, they all ar- 
rived safe at Port Hermoso, to the west of San Do- 
mingo. 

A diflJerent fate befel the other armament. The ship 
on board of which were Bobadilla, Roldan, and a num- 
ber of the most inveterate enemies of Columbus, was 



260 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

swallowed up with all its crew, and with thp, nelf^hrated 
mass of gold, and the principal part of the ill gotten 
treasure gained by the miseries of the Indians. Many 
of the other ships were entirely lost, some returned to 
San Domingo in shattered condition, .and only one was 
enabled to continue her voyage to Spain. That one, it 
is said, was the weakest of the fleet, and had on board of 
it four thousand pieces of gold, the property of the ad- 
miral, remitted to Spain by his agent Carvajal. Both 
Fernando Columbus, and the venerable historian Las 
Casas, looked upon this event as one of those awful 
judgments which seem at times to deal forth temporal re- 
tribution. They notice the circumstance, that while the 
enemies of the admiral were thus, as it were, before his 
eyes, swallowed up in the raging sea, the only ship ena- 
bled to pursue her voyage, Avas the frail bark freighted 
with his property. Many of the superstitious seamen, 
who, from the sagacity displayed by Columbus, in judg- 
ing of the signs of the elements, and his variety of scien- 
tific knowledge, looked upon him as endowed with super- 
natural powers, fancied he had conjured up this storm by 
magic spells, for the destruction of his enemies. The 
evils'in this, as in most of the cases called temporal judg- 
ments, overwhelmed the innocent with the guilty. In 
the same ship with Bobadilla and Roldan, perished the 
captive Guarionex, the unfortunate cacique of the vega. 

After repairing the damages sustained by his ships in 
the storm, Columbus steered for Terra Firma, but the 
weather falling perfectly calm, he was swept away to the 
northwest by the currents, until he arrived on the south- 
ern coast of Cuba. The wind springing up fair, he Re- 
sumed his course, and standing to the southwest, was 
enabled on the 30th of July to make the island of Gua* 



OF COLrMBUS. 261 

naga, a few leagues distant fr(tm the coast of Honduras. 
While the adelantado was on shore at this island, a canoe 
arrived of an immense size, on board of which sat a 
cacique with his wives and childrenf under an awning of 
palm leaves. The canoe was paddled by twenty-five 
Indians, and freighted with various merchandise, the rude 
manufactures and natural productions of the adjacent 
countries. There were hatchets and other utensils of 
copper, with a kind of crucible for the melting of that 
metal. Various vessels neatly formed of clay, marble, 
and hard wood ; mantles of cotton, worked and dyed 
with various colours; and many other articles which in- 
dicated a superior degree of art and civilization than 
had hitherto been discovered in the New World. 

The Indians, as far as they could be understood, informed 
the admiral that they had come from a country rich, 
cultivated, and industrious, situated to the west, and urged 
]him to steer in that direction. Well would it have been 
for Columbus had he followed their advice. Within a 
day or two he would have arrived at Yucatan ; the dis- 
covery of Mexico, and the other opulent countries of New 
Spain, would have necessarily followed, the Southern 
Ocean would have been disclosed to him, and a succes- 
sion of splendid discoveries would have shed fresh glory 
on his declining age, instead of its sinking amidst gloom, 
neglect, and disappointment. 

The admiral's whole mind, however, was at present 
intent upon discovering the supposed strait, that was to 
lead him to the Indian Ocean. He stood, therefore, south- 
wardly for some mountains which he descried not many 
leagues distant, made Cape Honduras, and from thence 
proceeded eastwardly, beating against contrary winds, 
and struggling with the currents which sweep that coast. 



262 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

There was an almost inrt^ssant tempest, with heavy rain 
and awful thunder and lightning. His vessels were 
strained so that their seams opened, the sails and rigging 
were rent, and the provisions damaged by the rain and 
the leakage. The sailors were exhausted with fatigue, 
and harrassed with terror. Several times they confessed 
their sins to each other, and prepared for death. During 
a great part of this time, Columbus suffered extremely 
from the gout, and his complaint was aggravated by 
watchfulness and anxiety. His illness did not prevent 
his attending to his duties ; he had a small cabin or 
round house constructed on the stern, from whence, even 
when confined to his bed, he could keep a look out, and 
regulate the sailing of the ships. Many times he was 
so ill that he thought his end approaching, and his 
anxious mind was distressed at the thoughts that his 
brother, Don Bartholomew, and his son Fernando, were 
exposed to the same dangers and hardships. Often, too, 
his thoughts reverted to his son Diego, and the cares 
and misfortunes into which his death might plunge him. 
At length, after struggling for upwards of forty days to 
make a distance of about seventy leagues, he arrived on 
the 14th of September, at a cape where the coast made 
a sudden bend, and turned directly south. Doubling 
this cape, he had immediately an easy wind, and swept 
off with flowing sail, in consequence of which he gave 
it the name of Gracias a Dios, or Thanks to God. 

For three weeks he continued coasting what is at 
present called the Mosquito shore, in the course of which 
a boat with its crew was swallowed up by the sudden 
swelling of a river. He had occasional interviews with 
the natives, but a mutual distrust prevailed between them 
and the Spaniards, The Indians were frightened at see- 



OF COLUMBUS. 263 

ing a notary of the fleet take out pen, ink, and paper, and 
proceed to write down the information they were com- 
municating ; they suppose'd he was working some magic 
spells and to counteract it, they scattered a fragrant pow- 
der in the air, and burnt it so that the smoke should be borne 
towards the Spaniards. The superstitious seamen look- 
ed upon these counter charms with equal distrust. They 
suspected the people of this coast to be great enchanters, 
and that all the delays and hardships they had experien- 
ced were in consequence of the ships being under some 
evil spell, wrought by their magic arts. Even Columbus, 
and his son and historian Fernando, appear to have been 
tinctured with this superstition, which indeed is charac- 
teristic of the age. 

On the 5th of October, Columbus arrived at what ig 
at present called Costa Rica (or the Rich Coast) from 
the gold and silver mines found in after years among its 
mountains. Here he began to find ornaments of pure 
gold among the natives. These increased in quantity 
when he came to what has since been called the coast 
of Veragua, where he was assured that the richest mines 
were to be found. In sailing along these coasts he re- 
ceived repeated accounts of a great kingdom in the 
west, called Ciguare, at the distance of several days' 
journey, where, as far as he could understand the im- 
perfect explanations of his interpreters, the inhabitants 
wore crowns and bracelets and anklets of gold, and em- 
plo}' ed it in embroidering their garments, and ornament- 
ing and embossing their furniture. They were armed 
also like the Spaniards, with swords, bucklers, and cui- 
rasses, and were mounted on horses. The country was 
described also as being commercial, with seaports, in 
which ships arrived armed with cannon. Above all, 



264 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

Columbus understood that the sea continued round to 
this kingdom of Ciguare, and that ten days beyond it 
was the Ganges. 

These were evidently rumours of the distant king- 
dom of Mexico, imperfectly interpreted to Columbus, 
and shaped and coloured by his imagination. He con- 
cluded that this country must be some province belonging 
to the Grand Khan, and must lie on the opposite side of a 
peninsula, and that he would soon arrive at a strait lead- 
ing into the Indian Sea which washed its shores. The 
supposed vicinity of the Ganges caused no surprise, as 
he had adopted the opinion of certain ancient philoso- 
phers, who gave the world a smaller circumference than 
was generally imagined, and but fifty-six miles and two- 
thirds to a degree of the equinoctial line. 

With these erroneous but ingenious ideas, Columbus 
continued to press forward in search of the imaginary 
strait, contending with adverse winds and currents ; and 
meeting with great hostility from the natives ; for the 
indians of these coasts were fierce and warlike, and many 
of the tribes are supposed to have been of Carib origin. 
At sight of the ships, the forests would resound with 
yells and war whoops, with wooden drums, and the blasts 
of conchs, and on landing the shores would be lined with 
savage warriors armed with clubs, and lances, and swords 
of palm wood. 

At length, having discovered and named Puerto Bello, 
and continued beyond Cape Nombre de Dios, Colum- 
bus arrived at a small and narrow harbour, to which he 
gave the name of El Retrete, or The Cabinet. Here he 
had reached the point, to which Bastides, an enterprising 
voyager, coasting from the eastward, had recently ex- 
plored. Whether Columbus knew or not, of the voyage 



OF COLUMBIXS. - 265 

of this discoverer, does not clearly appear, but here he 
was induced to give up all further attempt to find the 
strait. The seamen were disheartened by the constant 
opposition of the winds and currents, and by the condi- 
tion of the ships, which were pierced in all parts by the 
teredo or worm so destructive in the tropical seas. They 
considered themselves still under an evil spell, worked 
by the Indian sorcerers, and the commanders remonstrat- 
ed against forcing their way any farther in spite of the 
elements, with ships so crazed and leaky. Columbus 
yielded to their solicitations, and determined to return 
to the coast of Veragua, and search for the mines which 
were said to abound there. 

Here then ended the lofty anticipations which had 
elevated him above all mercenary views in his struggle 
along these perilous coasts, and had given a heroic cha- 
racter to the early part of his voyage. It is true, he 
had been in pursuit of a mere chimera, but it was the 
chimera of a splendid imagination and a penetrating 
judgment. The subsequent discovery of the Pacific 
Ocean bathing the opposite shores of that narrow isth- 
mus, has proved that a great part of his theory was 
well founded. 

33 



THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



Return to the coast of Veragua. Contests with the 
natives. [1502.] 

On the 5th of December, Columbus sailed from El 
Retrete, to return westward in search of the gold mines 
of Veragua. He had not proceeded far, however, when 
the wind suddenly veered to the west, the point from 
whence, for three months, he had been wishing it to 
blow, but from whence it now came only to contradict 
him. In a little while it became so variable and furious 
as to baffle all seamanship. For nine days the vessels 
were tossed about, at the mercy of a raging tempest, in 
an unknown sea, and often exposed to the awful perils 
of a lee shore. The sea, according to the description of 
Columbus, boiled at times like a cauldron ; at other 
times it ran in mountain waves, covered with foam. At 
night the raging billows sparkled with luminous particles 
which made them resemble great surges of flame. For 
.a day and a night, the heaven's glowed like a furnace 
with incessant flashes of lightning ; while the loud claps 
of thunder were often mistaken by the mariners for 
signal guns of distress from their foundering companions. 
During the whole time there was such a deluge of rain, 
that the seamen were almost drowned in their open 
vessels. 

In the midst of this wild tumult of the elements they 
beheld a new object of alarm. The ocean in one place 
became strangely agitated. The water was whirled up 
into a kind of pyramid or cone, while a livid cloud, 
tapering to a point, bent down to meet it. Joining toge- 



OF COLUMBUS. ^67 

ther, they formed a column, which rapidly approached 
the ships, spinning along the surface of the deep, and 
drawing up the waters with a rushing sound. The 
affrighted mariners, when they beheld this *waterspout 
advancing towards them, despaired of averting it by 
human means, and began to repeat certain passages from 
St. John the Evangelist. The waterspout passed close 
by their ships without injuring them, and they attributed 
their escape to the miraculous efficacy of their quotations 
from the scriptures. 

An interval of calm succeeded, but even this afforded 
but little consolation to the tempest tost mariners ; they 
looked upon it as deceitful, and beheld with alarm great 
numbers of sharks, so abundant and ravenous in those 
latitudes, roaming about the ships. Among the super- 
stitions of the seas, is the belief that these voracious fish 
have not only the faculty of smelling dead bodies at a 
distance, but have a presentiment of their prey, and 
keep about vessels which have sick persons on board, 
or which are in danger of being wrecked. 

For three weeks longer they continued to be driven 
to and fro, by changeable and tempestuous winds, endea- 
vouring to make a distance of merely thirty leagues, 
insomuch that Columbus gave this line of sea-board the 
name of La costa de los Contrastes, or the coast of con- 
tradictions. At length, to his great joy, he arrived on the 
day of Epiphany (the 6th of January) on the coast of 
Veragua, and anchored in a river to which^ in honour of 
the day, he gave the name of Belen or Bethlehem. 

The natives of the neighbourhood manifested the 
same fierce and warlike character that generally prevail- 
ed along this coast. They were soon conciliated, how- 
ever, and brought many ornaments of fine gold to traffic ; 



^68 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

but assured the admiral that the mines lay near the Rirei 
Veragua, which was about two leagues distant. The 
adelantado had an interview with Quibian, the cacique 
of Vera gut, who afterwards visited the ships. He was a 
stern warrior, of tall and powerful frame, and taciturn 
and cautious character. A few days afterwards the 
adelantado, attended by sixty-eight men, well armed, 
proceeded to explore the Veragua, and seek its reputed 
mines. They ascended the river about a league and a 
half to the village of Quibian, which was situated on a 
hill. The cacique descended with a numerous train of 
his subjects, unarmed, and took his seat on a great stone, 
which one of his attendants drew out of the river. He 
received his guests with courtesy, for the lofty, vigorous 
and iron form of the adelantado, and his resolute de- 
meanour, were calculated to inspire awe and respect in an 
Indian warrior. Though his jealousy was evidently 
awakened by the intrusion of the Spaniards into his ter- 
ritories, yet he readily furnished Don Bartholomew with 
guides, to conduct him to the mines. These guides led 
the adelantado and his men about six leagues into the 
interior, among thick forests of lofty and magnificent 
trees, where they told them the mines were situated. In 
fact, the whole soil appeared to be impregnated with 
gold, and the Spaniards collected a considerable quantity 
from the surface of the earth, and from among ihe roots 
of the trees. From hence, the adelantado was conduct- 
ed to the summit of a high hill, which overlooked an 
immense extent of country, with various villages, and 
the guides assured him, that the whole land, to the dis- 
tance of twenty days' journey westward, abounded in 
gold. 

Another expedition of Don Bartholomew along the 



OF COLUMBUS. 269 

soast, westward, was equally satisfactory ; and the re - 
ports which he brought of golden tracts of country, 
together with the rumours of a rich and civilized king- 
dom in the interior, and the erroneous idea with respect 
to the vicinity of the Ganges, all concurred to produce a 
new illusion in the ardent mind of Columbus. He fancied 
that he had actually arrived at the Aurea Chersonesus, 
from whence, according to Josephus, the gold had been 
procured for the building of the temple of Jerusalem. 
Here, then, was a place, at which to found a colony and 
establish a mart, which should become an emporium of 
the w^ealth of a vast region of mines. His brother, Don 
Bartholomew, concurred with him in opinion, and agreed 
to remain here with the greater part of the people, while 
the admiral should return to Spain, for supplies and re- 
inforcements. 

They immediately proceeded to carry their plan into 
operation. Eighty men were selected to remain. Houses 
of wood, thatched with palm leaves, were erected on the 
high bank of a creek, about a bow shot within the mouth 
of the River Belen. A store house was built to receive 
part of the ammunition, artillery, and stores ; the rest was 
put on board of one of the caravals, which was to be left 
for the use of the colony. 

The houses being sufficiently finished to be habitable, 
the admiral prepared for his departure, when he found 
to his surprise, that the river, which on his arrival had 
been swollen by rain, had subsided to such a degree, that 
there was not above half a fathom of water on the bar. 
Though his vessels were small, it was impossible to 
draw them over the sands at the mouth of the river, 
on account of a heavy surf. He was obliged, there- 
fore, to wait until the rains should again swell the river. 
23* 



270 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

In the mean time, Quibian beheld with secret indigna* 
tion these strangers intruding themselves into his do- 
minions. Columbus had sought to secure his friendship 
by various presents, but in vain. The cacique, ignorant 
of the vast superiority of the Europeans, in the art of 
war, thought it easy to overwhelm and destroy them. 
He sent messengers around, and ordered all his fighting 
men to assemble at his residence, under pretext of making 
war upon a neighbouring province. The movements 
of the indians awakened the suspicions of one Diego 
Mendez, chief notary of the armament. He was a man 
of zeal and spirit, of a shrewd and prying character, and 
entirely devoted to the admiral. He mingled among the 
indians, and observed circumstances which satisfied him 
that they were meditating an attack. The admiral was 
loth to believe it, and was desirous of clearer informa- 
tion, before he took any step that might interrupt the 
pacific intercourse that yet prevailed. The indefatigable 
Mendez now undertook a service of life and death. Ac- 
companied by a single companion, he penetrated as a 
spy to the very residence of Quibian, who they heard 
had been wounded in the leg by an arrow. Mendez 
gave himself out as a surgeon come to cure the wound, 
and made his way to the mansion of the grim warrior, 
which was situated on the crest of a hill, and surrounded 
by three hundred heads, on stakes ; dismal trophies of 
the enemies he had vanquished in battle. Undismayed 
by this sight, Mendez endeavoured to enter, but was met 
at the threshold by the son of the cacique, who repulsed 
him with a violent blow, that made him recoil several 
paces. He managed to pacify the furious young savage, 
by taking out a box of ointment, and assuring him that 
he only came for the purpose of curing his father's 



OF COLUMBUS. 271 

wounds. He then made him presents of a comb, scis- 
sors, and mirror, taug-ht him and his Indians the use of 
them in cuttinor and arranorino- their hair, and thus inorra- 
tiated himself with them by administering to their vani- 
ty. It was impossible, however, to gain admittance to 
the cacique ; but Mendez saw enough to convince him 
that the attack was about to be carried into effect, and 
that it was merely delayed by the wound of the cacique ; 
he hastened back, therefore, to Columbus with the intel- 
ligence. 

An Indian interpreter, a native of the neighbourhood, 
corroborated the report of Mendez. He informed the 
admiral that Quibian intended to come secretly in the 
dead of the night, with all his warriors, to set fire to the 
ships and houses, and massacre the Spaniards. 

When the Adelantado heard of this plot, he conceived 
a counterplot to defeat it, which he carried into effect 
with his usual promptness and resolution. Taking with 
him seventy-four men, well armed, among whom was 
Diego Mendez, and being accompanied by the Indian in- 
terpreter who had revealed the conspiracy, he set off in 
boats to the mouth of the Veragua, ascended it rapidly, 
and landed in the night at the village of the cacique be- 
fore the Indians could have notice of his approach. Lest 
Quibian should take the alarm and fly, he ascended to his 
house, accompanied only by Diego Mendiez, and four 
other men, ordering the rest to come on gradually and 
secretly, and at the discharge of an arquebuse to rush up 
and surround the house, and suffer no one to escape. 

The cacique, hearing of his approach, came forth, and 
seating himself in the portal, desired him to advance 
singly. Don Bartholomew complied, ordering Diego 
Mendez and his four companions to remain at a little 



372 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

distance, but to rush to his aid at a concerted signal. 
He then. advanced, addressed the cacique by means of 
the interpreter, inquired about his wound, and pretend- 
ing to examine it, took him by the arm. This was the 
signal, at which four of the Spaniards rushed forward; 
the fifth discharged the arquebuse. A violent struggle 
ensued between Don Bartholomew and the cacique, who 
were both men of great muscular force; but, with the 
assistance of Diego Mendez and his companions, Qui- 
bian was overpowered, and bound hand and foot. In 
the mean time the main body of the Spaniards surround- 
ed the house, and captured the wives and children of the 
cacique, and several of his principal subjects. The pri- 
soners were sent off to the ships, while the Adelantado, 
with a part of his men, remained on shore to pursue the 
Indians who had escaped. 

The cacique was conveyed to the boats by Juan San- 
chez, the principal pilot of the squadron, a powerful and 
spirited man. The Adelantado charged him to be on his 
guard against any attempt at rescue or escape. The 
sturdy pilot replied, that if the cacique escaped from his 
clutches he would give them leave to pluck out his beard 
hair by hair. On arriving at the boat, he secured his pri- 
soner by a strong cord to one of the bencheg. It was a 
dark night ; as the boat proceeded down the river, the ca- 
cique complained piteously of the painfulness of his bonds, 
until the rough heart of the pilot was touched with com- 
passion. He loosened the cord, therefore, by which 
Quibian was tied to the bench, keeping the end of it in 
his hand. The wily Indian now watched his opportuni- 
ty, and plunged suddenly into the water, with such vio- 
lence, that the pilot had to let go the cord, lest he should 
be drawn in after him. The darkness of the night, 



OF COLUMBUS. 273 

and the bustle which took place in preventing the escape 
of the other prisoners, rendered it impossible to pursue 
the cacique, or even to ascertain his fate. Juan Sanchez 
hastened to the ships with the residue of the captives, 
deeply mortified at being thus outwitted by a savage. 

The Adelantado remained all night on shore, but on 
the following morning, seeing the wild and rugged na- 
ture of the country, he gave up all further pursuit of the 
Indians, and returned to the ships with the spoils of the 
cacique's mansion, consisting of bracelets, anklets, and 
massive plates of gold, and two golden coronets. One 
fifth of the booty was set apart for the crown, the re- 
sidue was shared among those concerned in the enter- 
prise, and one of the coronets was assigned to the Ade- 
lantado as a trophy of his exploit. 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Disasters of the Settlement* [1503.] 

Satisfied that the vigorous measure of the Adelanta- 
do had struck terror into the Indians, and crushed their 
hostile designs, Columbus took advantage of a swelling 
of the river, to pass the bar with three of his caravals, 
leaving the fourth for the use of the settlement. He 
then anchored within a league of the shore, until a fa- 
vourable wind should spring up for Hispaniola. 

The cacique Quibian had not perished in the river, as 
some had supposed. Plunging to the bottom, he swam 
for some distance below the surface, and then emerging, 
escaped to the shore. His home, however, was deso- 
late, and to complete his despair, he saw the vessels 



274 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

standing out to sea, bearing away his wives and children 
captives. Furious for revenge, he gathered together a 
great number of his warriors, and assailed the settle- 
ment when the Spaniards were scattered and off their 
guard. The Indians launched their javelins through the 
roofs of the houses, which were of palm leaves, or hurl- 
ed them in at the windows, or thrust them between the 
logs which composed the walls, and wounded several of 
the -Spaniards. On the first alarm, the Adelantado seiz- 
ed a lance, and sallied forth with seven or eight of his 
men; Diego Mendez brought several others to his assist- 
ance. They had a short skirmish ; one Spaniard was 
killed, and eight wounded ; the Adelantado received a 
thrust in the breast with a javelin ; but they succeeded in 
repulsing the Indians, with considerable loss, and driving 
them into the forest. 

During the skirmish, a boat came on shore from the 
ships, to procure wood and water. It was commanded by 
Diego Tristan, a captain of one of the caravals. When 
the Indians were put to flight, he proceeded up the river, 
in quest of fresh water, disregarding the warning coun- 
sels of those on shore. 

The boat had ascended about a league above the vil- 
lage, to a part of the river overshadowed by lofty banks 
and spreading trees. Suddenly thp forest resounded 
with yells and war-whoops, and the blasts of conchs. 
A shower of missiles was rained from the shores, and 
canoes darted out from creeks and coves, filled with war- 
riors, brandishing their weapons. The Spaniards, losing 
all presence of mind, neglected to use their fire-arms, 
and only sought to shelter themselves with, their buck- 
lers. The captain, Diego Tristan, though covered with 
wounds, endeavoured to animate his men, when a javalin 



OF COLUMBUS. 275 

pierced his right eye, and struck him dead. The canoes 
now closed upon the bfeat, and massacred the crew. 
One Spaniard alone escaped, who, having fallen over- 
board, dived to the bottom, swam under water, and esca- 
ped unperceived to shore, bearing tidings of the massacre 
to the settlement. The Spaniards were so alarmed at 
the intelligence, and at the thoughts of the dangers that 
were thickening around them, that, notwithstanding the 
remonstrances of the Adelantado, they determined to 
embark in the caraval, and abandon the place altogether. 
On making the attempt, however, they found that, the 
torrents having subsided, the river was again shallow, 
and it was impossible for the caraval to pass over the 
bar. A high sea and boisterous surf also prevented their 
sending off a boat to the admiral, with intelligence of 
their danger. While thus cut off from all retreat or suc- 
cour, horrors increased upon them. The mangled bo- 
dies of Diego Tristan and his men, came floating down 
the stream, and drifting about the harbour, with flights 
of crows and other carrion birds feeding on them, and 
hovering, and screaming, and fighting about their prey. 

In the mean time, the dismal sound of conchs and war 
drums was heard in every direction in the bosom of the 
surrounding forest, showing that the enemy was aug- 
menting in number, and preparing for further hostilities. 
The Adelantado, therefore, deemed it unsafe to remain 
in the village, which was adjacent to the woods. He 
chose an open place on the shore, where he caused a kind 
of bulwark to be made of the boat of the caraval, and of 
casks and sea chests. Two places were left open as em- 
ibrasures, in which were mounted a couple of falconets, or 
small pieces of artillery. In this little fortress the Spa- 
niards shut themselves up, and kept the Indians at a dis- 



276 THE LIFP AND VOYAGES 

tance by the terror of their fire arms ; but they were eX" 
hausted by watching and by incessant alarms, and looked 
forward with despondency to the time when their ammu- 
nition should be exhausted, or they should be driven 
forth by hunger to seek for food. 

While the Spaniards were exposed to such imminent 
peril on shore, great anxiety prevailed on board of the 
ships. Day after day elapsed without the return of Die- 
go Tristan and his party, and it was feared that some dis- 
aster had befallen them. But one boat remained for the 
service of the ships, and they dared not risk it in the 
rough sea and heavy surf, to send it on shore for intelli- 
gence. A circumstance occurred to increase the anxiety 
of the crews. The Indian prisoners were confined in the 
forecastle of one of the caravals. In the night they sud- 
denly burst open the hatch, several flung themselves into 
the sea, and swam to the shore ; the rest were secured 
and forced back into the forecastle, but such was their 
unconquerable spirit and their despair, that they hanged 
or strangled themselves with ends of cords, which lay 
about in their prison, and in the morning were all found 
dead. 

The escape of some of the prisoners gave great unea- 
siness to the admiral, fearing they would stimulate their 
countrymen to some new act of vengeance. Still it was 
impossible to send a boat on shore. At length, one Pe- 
dro Ledesma, a man of great strength and resolution, 
volunteered, if the boat would take him to the edge of 
the surf, to plunge into the sea, swim to the shore, and 
bring off intelligence. He succeeded, and on his return 
informed the admiral of all the disasters of the settle- 
ment ; the attack by the indians, and the massacre of 
Diego Tristan and his boat's crew. He found the 



J 



OF COLUMBUS. .277 

Spaniards in their forlorn fortress, in a complete state 
of insubordination. They were preparing canoes to 
take them to the ships, when the weather should mode- 
rate. They threatened that, if the admiral refused to 
take'them on board, they would embark in the remaining 
caraval, as soon as it could be extricated from the river, 
and would abandon themselves, to the mercy of the seas, 
rather than continue on that fatal coast. 

The admiral was deeply afflicted at this intelligence, 
but there appeared no alternative but to embark all the 
people, abandon the settlement for the present, and re- 
turn at a future day, with a force competent to take se- 
cure possession of the country. The state of the weather 
rendered the execution even of this plan doubtful. The 
high wind and boisterous waves still prevented com- 
munication, and the situation of those at sea, in crazy and 
feebly manned ships, on a lee shore, was scarcely less 
perilous than that of their comrades on the land. Every 
hour increased the anxiety of the admiral. Days of 
constant perturbation, and nights of sleepless anguish, 
preyed upon a constitution broken by age and hardships. 
Amidst the acute maladies of the body, and the fever of 
the mind, he appears to have been visited by partial de- 
lirium. In a letter to the sovereigns, he gives an account 
of a kind of vision, which comforted him when full of 
despondency, and tossing upon a couch of pain. In the 
silence of the night, when wearied and sighing, he had 
fallen into a slumber, he thought he heard a voice re- 
proaching him with his want of confidence in God. 
" Oh fool, and slow to believe thy God !" exclaimed the 
voice ; " what did he more for Moses or for his servant 
David ? From the time that thou wert born he has ever 
taken care of thee. When he saw thee of a fitting age, 

24 



278 THE LIFE AXD VOYAGES 

he made thy name to resound marvellously ^throughout 
the world. The Indies, those rich parts of the earth, 
he gave thee for thine own, and empowered thee to dis- 
pose of them to others, according to thy pleasure. He 
delivered thee the keys of the gates of the ocean 'sea, 
shut up by such mighty chains, and thou wert obeyed in 
many lands, and didst acquire honourable fame among 
christians. ****** Thou dost cair despondingly for 
succour. Answer ! who has afflicted thee 1 God, or 
the world? The privileges and promises which God 
has made thee, he has never broken. He fulfils all that 
he promises, and with increase. Thy present troubles 
are the reward of the toils and perils thou hast endured 
in serving others." Amidst its reproaches the voice 
mingled promises of further protection, and assurances 
that his age should be no impediment to any great im- 
dertaking. 

Such is the vision which Columbus circumstantially 
relates in a letter to the sovereigns. The words here 
spoken by a supposed voice, are truths which dwelt upon 
his mind and agitated his spirit in his waking hours. It 
is natural that they should recur vividly in his feverish 
dreams. He had a solemn belief that he was a peculiar 
instrument in the hands of providence, which, together 
with a deep tinge of superstition, common to the age, 
made him prone to mistake every striking dream for a 
revelation. 

His error was probably confirmed by subsequent cir- 
cumstances. Immediately after the supposed vision, and 
after nine days of boisterous weather, the wind subsided, 
the sea became calm, and the adelantado and his com- 
panions were happily rescued from their perilous situa- 
tion, and embarked on board of the ships. Every 



OF COLUMBUS. 279 

thing of value was likewise brought on board, and 
nothing remained but the hull of the caraval, which 
could not be extricated from the river. Diego Mendez 
was extremely efficient in bringing off the people and 
the property, and in reward of his zeal and services, the 
admiral gave him the command of the caraval, vacant 
by the death of the .unfortunate Diego Tristan. 



CHAPTER XL. 

Voyage to Jamaica. Transactions at that Island, [1503.] 

Towards the end of April, Columbus set sail from 
the disastrous coast of Veragua. The wretched con- 
dition of his ships, the enfeebled state of his crews, and 
the scarcity of provisions, determined him to make the 
best of his way for Hispaniola : but it was necessary, 
before standing across for that island, to gain a consider- 
able distance to the eas't, to avoid being swept away far 
below their destined port by the currents. The pilots 
and mariners, who had not studied the navigation of 
these seas with an equally experienced and observant 
eye, fancied, when Columbus stood along the coast to 
the east, that he intended to proceed immediately to 
Spain, and murmured loudly at the madness of attempt 
ing so long a voyage, with ships destitute of stores and 
consumed by the worms. The admiral did not impart 
his reasons, for he was disposed to make a mystery of 
his routes, seeing the number of private adventurers 
daily crowding into his track. 

Continuing along the coast eastward, he was obliged 



280 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

to abandon one of the caravals in the harbour of Puerto 
Bello, being so pierced by the teredo that it was impossi- 
ble to keep her afloat. He then proceeded about ten 
leagues beyond Point Bias, near to what is at present 
called the gulf of Darien, and which he supposed to be 
the province of Mangi, in the territories of the Grand 
Khan. Here he bade farewell to the main land, and 
stood northward on the first of May, in quest of His- 
paniola. Notwithstanding all his precautions, however, 
he was carried so far west by the currents, as to arrive, 
on the 30th of May, among the cluster of islands, called 
the Queen's Gardens, on the south side of Cuba. During 
this time, his crews had suffered excessively from hun- 
ger and fatigue. They were crowded into two caravals, 
little better than mere wrecks, and which were scarcely 
kept afloat by incessant labour at the pump. They were 
enfeebled by scanty diet, and dejected by a variety of 
hardships. A violent storm on the coast of Cuba, drove 
the vessels upon each other, and shattered them to such 
a degree, that the admiral, after struggling as far as 
Cape Cruz, gave up all further attempt to navigate them 
to Hispaniola, and stood over in search of a secure port, 
on the island of Jamaica. Here, on the 24th of June, 
they anchored in a harbour, to which the admiral gave 
the name of Port San Gloria. 

Seeing that his ships were no longer capable of stand- 
ing the sea, and were in danger of foundering even in 
port, Columbus run them aground, within bowshot of the 
shore, where they were fastened together side by side. 
They soon filled with water. Thatched cabins were then 
erected at the prow and stern to shelter the crews, and 
the wreck was placed in the best possible state of- de- 
fence : thus castled in the sea, Columbus trusted to be 



or COLTJMBtJS. 281 

able to repel any sudden attack of the natives, and at 
the same time, to keep his men under proper restraint. 
No one was permitted to go on shore without especial 
license, and the utmost precaution was taken to prevent 
any offence being given to the indians, who soon swarm- 
ed to the harbour with provisions, as any exasperation 
of them might be fatal to the Spaniards in their present 
forlorn situation. Two persons were appointed to su- 
perintend all bargains, and the provisions thus obtained 
were divided every evening among the people. As the 
immediate neighbourhood, however, might soon be ex- 
hausted, the zealous and intrepid Diego Mendez, made a 
tour in the interior, accompanied by three men, and 
made arrangements for the caciques at a distance, to 
furnish daily supplies at the harbour, in exchange for 
European trinkets. He returned in triumph, in a canoe 
which he had purchased from the indians, and which he 
had freighted with provisions, and -through his able ar- 
rangement the Spaniards were regularly supplied. 

The immediate wants of his people being thus provi- 
ded for, Columbus revolved, in his anxious mind, the 
means of getting from this island. His ships were be- 
yond the possibility of repair, there was no hope of a 
chance sail arriving to his relief, on the shores of a sa- 
vage island, in an unfrequented sea. At length, a mode 
of relief occurred to him, through the means of this same 
Diego Mendez, whose courage and loyalty he had so of- 
ten proved. He took him aside to sound him on the sub- 
ject, and Mendez himself has written an account of this 
interesting conversation, which is full of character. 

" Diego Mendez, my son," said the venerable admiral, 
" of all those who are here, you and I alone know the 
great peril in which we are placed. We are few in num- 
24* 



38^ THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

ber, and these savage Indians are many, and of fickle 
and irritable natures. On the least provocation they may 
throw firebrands from the shore, and consume us in our 
straw-thatched cabins. The arrangement which you have 
made for provisions, and which at present they fulfil so 
cheerfully, they may capriciously break to-morrow, and 
may refuse to bring us any thing ; nor have we the means 
of compelling them. I have thought of a remedy, if it 
meets your views. In this canoe which you have pur- 
chased, some one may pass over to Hispaniola, and pro- 
cure a ship, by which we shall all be delivered from this 
great peril. Tell me your opinion on the matter." 

" Senor," replied Diego Mendez, " I well know our 
danger to be far greater than is easily conceived ; but as 
to passing to Hispaniola in so small a vessel as a canoe^ 
I hold it not merely difficult, but impossible, since it is 
necessary to traverse a gulf of forty leagues, and be- 
tween islands where -the sea is impetuous and seldom in 
repose. I know not who there is would venture upon so 
extreme a peril." 

Columbus made no reply ; but from his looks, and the 
nature of his silence, Mendez plainly perceived himself 
to be the person whom the admiral had in view. Re- 
suming, therefore, the conversation, " Senor," said he, 
" I have many times put my life in peril to save you and 
my comrades, and God has hitherto preserved me in a mi- 
raculous manner. There are, nevertheless, murmurers, 
who say that your excellency intrusts to me every affair 
wherein honour is to be gained, while there are others in 
company who would execute them as well as I. I beg, 
therefore, that you would assemble the people, and pro- 
pose this enterprise, to see if any one will undertake it, 



OF COLUMBUS. 283 

which 1 doubt. If all decline, I will then come forward 
and risk my life in your service, as I have many times 
done already." 

The admiral willingly humoured the wishes of the 
worthy Mendez ; for never was simple vanity accompa- 
nied by more generous and devoted zeal. 

On the following morning the crew was accordingly 
assembled, and the proposition made. Every one drew 
back, pronouncing it the height of rashness. Upon this 
Diego Mendez stepped forward. " Senor, said he, " I 
have but one life to lose, yet I am willing to venture it 
for your service, and for the good of all here present; 
and I trust in the protection of God, which I have ex- 
perienced on so many other occasions." 

Columbus embraced this zealous follower, who imme- 
diately set about preparing for the expedition. Drawing 
his canoe on shore, he put on a false keel, and nailed 
weather-boards along the bow and stern, to prevent the 
sea from breaking over it. He then payed it with a coat 
of tar, furnished it with a mast and sail, and put in pro- 
visions for himself, a Spanish comrade, and six Indians. 

In the mean while Columbus wrote a letter to Ovando, 
governor of Hispaniola, begging that a ship might im- 
mediately be sent to bring him and his men to Hispanio- 
la ; and he wrote another to the sovereigns, entreating 
for a ship to convey them from Hispaniola to Spain. In 
this letter he gave a comprehensive account of his voy- 
age, and expressed his opinion that Veragua was the Au- 
rea Chersonesus of the ancients. He supposed himself 
to have reached the confines of the dominions of the 
Grand Khan, and offered, if he lived to return to Spain, 
to conduct a mission thither to instruct that potentate in 



284 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the christian faith. What an instance of soaring enthu- 
siasm and irrepressible enterprise is here exhibited ! At 
the time he was indulging these visions, and proposing 
new and romantic enterprises, he was broken down by 
age and infirmities, racked by pain, confined to his bed, 
and shut up in a wreck on the coast of a remote and sa- 
vage island. 

The despatches being ready, Diego Mendez embarked 
with his Spanish comrade and his six Indians, and coast- 
ed the island eastward. Their voyage was toilsome and 
perilous. When arrived at the end of the island they 
were suddenly surrounded and taken prisoners by the 
Indians, who carried them three leagues into the interior, 
where they determined to kill thejn. A dispute arising 
about the division of the spoils, they agreed to settle it, 
after the Indian fashion, by a game of ball. While thus 
engaged, Diego Mendez escaped, regained his canoe, 
and made his way back to the harbour in it, alone, after 
fifteen days' absence. Nothing daunted by the perils 
and hardships he had undergone, he offered to depart 
immediately on a second attempt, provided he could be 
escorted to the end of the island by an armed force. 
His offer was accepted, and Bartholomew Fiesco, a Ge- 
noese, who had commanded one of the caravals, and was 
strongly attached to the admiral, was associated with him 
in this second expedition. Each had a canoe, with six 
Spaniards and ten Indians under his command. On 
reaching Hispaniola, Fiesco was to return immediately 
to Jamaica, to bring tidings to the admiral of the safe ar- 
rival of his messenger ; while Diego Mendez was to pro- 
ceed to San Domingo, and, after purchasing and* de- 
spatching a ship, was to depart for Spain with the letter 
to the sovereigns. . 



OF COLUMBUS. 285 

All arrangements being made, the Indians placed in 
the canoes a supply of cassava bread, and each his cala- 
bash of water. The Spaniards, beside their provisions, 
had each his sword and target. The Adelantado, with 
an armed band, kept pace with them along the coast, 
until they reached the end of the island, where, waiting 
for three days until the weather was perfectly serene, 
they launched forth on the broad bosom of the sea. The 
Adelantado remained watching th^m until they became 
mere specks on the ocean, and the evening hid them 
from his view, and then returned to the harbour. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Mutiny of Porras— Eclipse of the Moon — Stratagem of 
Columbus to procure Supplies from the Indians. [1503.] 

Months elapsed, and nothing was heard of Mendez 
and Fiesco. The Spaniards, enfeebled by past sufferings, 
crowded in close quarters, in a moist and sultry climate, 
and reduced to a vegetable diet, to which they were un- 
accustomed, became extremely sickly, and their maladies 
were heightened by anxiety and suspense. Day after 
day, and week after week, they kept a wistful look-out 
upon the sea for the expected return of Fiesco, flatter- 
ing themselves that every Indian canoe, gliding at a dis- 
tance, might be the harbinger of deliverance. It was 
all in vain ; and at length they began to fear that their 



286 THE LIIJS AND VOYAGES 

messengers had perished. Some gradually sank into de- 
spondency ; others became peevish and impatient, and, 
in theif unreasonable heat, railed at their venerable and 
infirm commander as the cause of all their misfortunes. 

Among' the officers of Columbus were two brothers, 
Francisco and Diego Porras, relations of the royal 
treasurer Morales. To gratify the latter, the admiral 
had appointed one of them captain of a caraval, and the 
other notary and accountant-general of the expedition. 
They were vain and insolent men, and, like many others 
whom Columbus had benefited, requited his kindness 
with the blackest ingratitude. Mingling with the peo- 
ple, they assured them that Columbus had no intention 
of returning to Spain, having in reality been banished 
thence by the* sovereigns. Hispaniola, they said, was 
equally closed against him, and it was his design to re- 
main in Jamaica, until his friends could make interest 
at court to procure his recal. As to Mendez and Fiesco, 
they had been sent to Spain by Columbus on his own 
private concerns ; if this were not the case, why did not 
the promised ship arrive? or why did not Fiesco return? 
Or if the canoes had really been sent for succour, the 
long time that had elapsed without tidings gave reason 
to believe that they had perished by the way. In such 
case, their only alternative would be to take Indian ca- 
noes, and endeavour to reach Hispaniola : but there was 
no hope of persuading the admiral to do this ; he was 
too old, and too infirm, to undertake such a voyage. 

By these insidious suggestions, they gradually prepa- 
red the people for revolt, assuring them of the protec- 
tion of their own relatives in Spain, and of the counte- 
nance of Ovando and Fonseca, if not of the favowr of 



OF COLUMBUS. 287 

the sovereigns themselves, who had shown their ill will 
towards Columbus by stripping him of part of his digni- 
ties and privileges. 

On the 2d of January, 1504, the mutiny broke out. 
Francisco Porras suddenly entered the cabin where Co- 
lumbus was confined to his bed by the gout, reproached 
him vehemently with keeping them in that desolate place 
to perish, and accused him of having no intention to re- 
turn to Spain. The admiral raised himself in bed, and, 
maintaining his calmness, endeavoured to reason with 
the traitor ; but Porras was deaf to all argument. " Em- 
bark immediately, or remain, in God's name !" cried he, 
with a voice that resounded all over the wreck. " For 
my part, I am for Castile ! those who choose may fol- 
low me !" 

This was the signal. " For Castile ! for Castile !" was 
heard on every side. The mutineers sprang up on the 
most conspicuous parts of the vessel, brandishing their 
weapons, and amidst the uproar the voices of some des- 
peradoes were heard menacing the life of the admiral. 

Columbus, ill and infirm as he was, leaped out of bed, 
and tottered forth to pacify the mutineers, but was forced 
back into his cabin by some of his faithful adherents. 
The Adelantado sallied forth lance in hand, and planted 
himself in a situation to take the whole brunt of the as- 
sault. It was with the greatest difficulty that several of 
the loyal part of the crew could restrain his fury, and 
prevail upon him to relinquish his weapon, and retire to 
the cabin of his brother. 

The mutineers, being entirely unopposed, took ten 
canoes, which the admiral had purchased from the In- 
dians ; others, who had not been concerned in the 



288 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

mutiny, joined them, through fear of remaining behind, 
when so reduced in number ; in this way forty-eight 
abandoned the admiral. Many of the sick crawled forth 
from their cabins, and beheld their departure with tears 
and lamentations, and would gladly have accompanied 
them, had their strength permitted. 

Porras coasted with his squadron of canoes to the 
eastward, landing occasionally and robbing the natives, 
pretending to act under the authority of Columbus, that 
he might draw on him their hostility. Arrived at the 
east end of .the island, he procured several indians to 
manage the canoes, and then set out on his voyage across 
the gulf. The Spaniards had scarcely proceeded four 
leagues, when the wind came ahead, with a swell of the 
sea, that threatened to overwhelm the deeply laden canoes. 
They immediately turned for land, and in their alarm threw 
overboard the greater part of their effects. The danger 
still continuing, they drew their swords, and compelled 
most of the indians to leap into the sea. The latter were 
skilful swimmers, but the distance to land was too great 
for their strength ; if however they at any time took hold 
of the canoes to rest themselves and recover breath, 
the Spaniards, fearful of their overturning the slight 
barques, would stab them, or cut off their hands. Some 
were thus slain by the sword, others sunk exhausted 
beneath the waves ; eighteen perished miserably, and 
none survived but a few who had been retained to man- 
age the canoes. 

Having reached the shore in safety, Porras and his 
m^n waited until the weather became favourable, and 
then made another effort to cross to Hispaniola, but with 
no better success. They then abandoned the attempt 
in despair, a,nd returned westward, towards the harbour, 



OF COLUMBUS. 289 

roving from village to village, living upon the provi- 
sions of the indians, which they took by force, if not 
readily given, and conducting themselves in the most 
licentious manner. If tlie natives remonstrated, they 
told them to seek redress at the hands of the admiral, 
whom, at the same time, they represented as the impla- 
cable foe of the Indian race, and bent upon gaining a 
tyrannical sway over their island. 

In the mean time, Columbus, when abandoned by the 
mutineers, and left in the wreck with a mere handful of 
sick and desponding men, exerted himself to the utmost 
to restore this remnant to an efficient state of health and 
spirits. He ordered that the small stock of biscuit which 
remained, and the most nourishing articles of the pro- 
visions furnished by the indians, should be appropriated 
to the invalids : he visited them individually, cheered 
them with hopes of speedy deliverance, and promised 
that on his return to Spain, he would intercede with the 
sovereigns, that their loyalty might be munificently re- 
warded. In this way, by kind and careful treatment, 
and encouraging words, he succeeded in restoring them 
from a state of sickness and despondency, and rendering 
them once more fit for service. 

Scarcely, however, had the little garrison of the 
wreck recovered from the shock of the mutiny, when it 
was menaced by a new" and appalling evil. The scanty 
number of the Spaniards prevented them from foraging 
abroad for provisions, and rendered them dependent on 
the voluntary supplies of the natives. The latter began 
to grow negligent. The European trinkets, once so 
inestimable in their eyes, by becoming common, had 
sunk in value, and were almost treated with indifference. 
The arrangements made by Diego Mendez were irregu- 

25 



290 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

larly attended to, and at length entirely disregarded. 
Many of the caciques had been incensed by the conduct 
of Porras and his followers, which they supposed justi- 
fied by the admiral ; others had been secretly instigated 
by the rebels to withhold provisions, in hopes of starving 
Columbus and his people, or of driving them from the 
island. 

The horrors of famine began to threaten the terrified 
crew, when a fortunate idea presented itself to Colum- 
bus. From his knowledge of astronomy, he ascertained 
that within three days, there would be a total eclipse of 
the moon, in the early part of the night. He summoned, 
therefore, the principal caciques to a grand conference, 
appointing for it the day of the eclipse. When all were 
assembled, he told them by his interpreter, that he and 
his followers were worshippers of a Deity, who lived in 
the skies, and held them under his protection. That 
this great Deity was incensed against the indians, who 
had refused or neglected to furnish his faithful worship- 
pers with provisions, and intended to chastise them with 
famine and pestilence. Lest they should disbelieve, this 
warning, a signal would be given that very night in the 
heavens. They would behold the moon change its 
colour, and gradually lose its light ; a token of the fear- 
ful punishment which awaited them. 

Many of the indians were alarmed at the solemnity 
of this prediction, others treated it with derision ; all, 
however, awaited with solicitude the coming of the night. 
Wlien they beheld a black shadow steaHng over the 
moon, and a mysterious gloom gradually covering the 
whole face of nature, they were seized with the utmost 
consternation. Hurrying with provisions to the ships, 
and throwing themselves at the feet of Columbus, they 



OF COLTTMBUS. 291 

implored him to intercede with his God, to withhold the 
threatened calamities, assuring him that thenceforth they 
would bring him whatever he required. Columbus re- 
tired to his cabin, under pretence of communing with 
the Deity, the iforests and shores all the while resound- 
ing with the bowlings of the savages. He returned short- 
ly, and informed the natives that the Deity had deigned 
to pardon them, on condition of their fulfilling their 
promises, in sign of which he would withdraw the dark- 
ness from the moon. Wh^n the indians saw that planet 
restored presently to its brightness, and rolling in all its 
beauty through the firmament, they overwhelmed the 
admiral with thanks for his intercession. They now re- 
garded him with awe and reverence, as one in peculiar 
favour and confidence of the Deity, since he knew upon 
earth what v/as passiiig in the heavens. They hastened 
to propitiate him with gifts ; supplies again arrived daily 
at the harbour, and from that time forward there was no 
want of provisions. 



CHAPTER XLH. 

Arrival of Diego de Escobar at the Harbour. Battle 
with the Rebels. [1504.] 

Eight months had now elapsed since the departure 
of Mendez and Fiesco, yet no tidings had been re- 
ceived of their fate. The hopes of the most sanguine 
were nearly extinct, and many, considering themselves 
abandoned and forgotten by the world, grew wild and 
desperate in their plans. Another conspiracy, similar 



292 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

to that of Porras, was on the point of breaking out, 
when one evening, towards dusk, a sail was seen stand- 
ing towards the harbour. It was a small caraval, which 
kept out at sea, and sent its boat on shore. In this came 
Diego de Escobar, one of the late confederates of Rol- 
dan, who had been condemned to death under the ad- 
ministration of Columbus, and pardoned by his succes- 
sor, Bobadilla. There was bad omen in such a mes- 
senger. 

Escobar was the bearer of a mere letter of compli- 
ment and condolence from Ovando, accompanied by a 
barrel of wine and a side of bacon. The governor ex- 
pressed great concern at his misfortunes, and regret at 
not having in port a vessel of sufficient size to bring off 
himself and people, but promised to send one as soon as 
possible. Escobar drew off with the boat, and kept at a 
distance from the Avreck, aM^aiting any letters the admiral 
might have to send in reply, and holding no conversa- 
tion with any of the Spaniards. Columbus hastened to 
write to Ovando, depicting the horrors of his situation, 
and urging the promised relief. As soon as Escobar re- 
ceived this letter, he returned on board of his caraval, 
which made all sail, and disappeared in the gathering 
gloom of the night. 

The mysterious conduct of Escobar, caused great 
wonder and consternation among the people. Columbus 
SQUght to dispel their uneasiness, assuring them that 
vessels would soon arrive to take them away. In con- 
fidence of this, he said, he had declined to depart with 
Escobar, because his vessel was too small to take the 
whole, and had dispatched him in such haste, that no 
time might be lost in sending the requisite ships. These 
assurances, and the certainty that their situation was 



OF COLUMBUS. 293 

known in San Domingo, cheered the hearts of the peo 
pie, and put an end to the conspiracy. 

Cohimbus, however, was secretly indignant at the con- 
duct of Ovando, beheving that he had purposely delayed 
sending relief, in the hopes that he would perish on the 
island, being apprehensive that, should he return in safe- 
ty, he would be reinstated in the government of Hispa- 
niola. He considered Escobar merely as a spy, sent by 
the governor to ascertain whether he and his crew were 
yet in existence. Still he endeavoured to turn the event 
to some advantage with the rebels. He sent two of his 
people to inform them of the promise of Ovando to send 
ships for his relief, and he offered them a free pardon, 
and a passage to Hispaniola, on condition of their imme- 
diate return to obedience. 

On the approach of the ambassadors, Porras came 
forth to meet them, accompanied solely by a few of the 
ringleaders of his party, and prevented their holding any 
communication with the mass of his people. In reply to 
the generous offer of the admiral, they refused to return 
to the wreck, but agreed to conduct themselves peacea- 
bly and amicably, on receiving a solemn promise that, 
should two vessels arrive, they should have one to de- 
part in ; should but one arrive, the half of it should be 
granted to them; and that, in the mean time, the admi- 
ral should share with them the sea stores and articles 
of indian traf&c which remained in his. possession. 
When it was observed, that these demands were extra- 
vagant and inadmissible, they replied, that if they were 
not peaceably conceded, they would take them by for.ce, 
and with this menace they dismissed the ambassadors. 

The conference was not conducted so privately but 
that the rest of the rebels learnt the whole purport of 

35* 



294 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

the mission. Porras seeing them moved by the offer of 
pardon and dehverance, resorted to the most desperate 
falsehoods to delude them. He told them that these of- 
fers of the admiral were all deceitful, and that he only 
sought to get them into his power, that he might wreak 
on them his vengeance. As to the pretended caraval 
which had visited the harbour, he assured them that it 
was a mere phantasm, conjured up by the admiral, who 
was deeply versed in magic. In proof of this, he ad- 
verted to its arriving in the dusk of the evening ; its 
holding communication with no one but the admiral, and 
its sudden disappearance in the night. Had it been a 
real caraval, the crew would have sought to converse 
with their countrymen ; the admiral, his son and brother, 
would have eagerly embarked on board ; at any rate, it 
would have remained a little while in port, and not have 
vanished so suddenly and mysteriously. 

By these and similar delusions, Porras succeeded in 
working upon the feelings and credulity of his followers, 
and persuaded them that, if they persisted in their re- 
bellion, they would ultimately triumph, and perhaps send 
home the admiral in irons, as had once before been done 
from Hispaniola. To involve them beyond hope of par- 
don, he marched them one day towards the harbour, 
with an intention of seizing upon the stores remaining in 
the wreck, and getting the admiral in his power. 

Columbus, heard of their approach, but being confined 
by his infirmities, sent Don Bartholomew to reason with 
them, and endeavour to win them to obedience. The 
adelantado, who was generally a man rather of deeds 
than words, took with him fifty men well armed. Ar- 
riving near the rebels, he sent messengers to treat with 
them, but Porras forbade them to approach. The lat- 



OF COLUMBUS. 295 

ler cheered his followers by pointing, with derision, to 
the pale countenances of their opponents, who were 
emaciated by recent sickness and long confinement in 
the wreck, whereas his m.en, for the most part, were 
hardy sailors, rendered robust by living in the open air.* 
He assured them the followers of the adelantado were 
mere household men, fair weather troops, who could 
never stand before them. He did not reflect, that with 
such men pride and spirit often more than supply the 
place of bodily force, and that his adversaries had the in- 
calculable advantage of justice and law upon their side. 

Deluded by his words into a transient glow of courage, 
the rebels did not wait to be attacked, but rushed with 
shouts upon the enemy. Six of them had made a league 
to assault the adelantado, but were so well received that 
he laid several of them dead at his feet, among whom 
was Juan Sanchez, the same powerful mariner who had 
carried off the Cacique Quibian. In the midst of the 
affray, the adelantado was assailed by Francisco de Por- 
ras, who, with a blow of his sword, cleft his buckler and 
wounded the hand which grasped it. The sword re- 
mained wedged in the shield, and before it could be with- 
drawn the adelantado closed upon Porras, grappled him, 
and being assisted by others, succeeded in taking him 
prisoner. 

The rebels, seeing their leader a captive, fled in con 
fusion, but were not pursued, through fear of an attack 
from the Indians, who had remained drawn up in battle 
array, gazing, with astonishment, at this fight between 
white men, but without offering to aid either party. The 
adelantado returned in triumph to the wreck, with Por- 
ras and several other prisoners. Only two of his own 
men had been wounded, one of whom died. On the fol- 



THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

lowing day, the rebels sent in a letter to the admiral, 
signed by all their names, confessing all their misdeeds, 
imploring pardon, and making a solemn oath of obe- 
dience, and imprecating the most awful curses on their 
•heads should they break it. The admiral saw, by the 
abject nature of the letter, how completely the spirit of 
these misguided men was broken ; with his wonted mag- 
nanimity he pardoned their offences, merely retaining 
their ringleader, Francisco Porras, a prisoner, to be tried 
in Spain for his misdeeds. 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

Voyage of Diego Mendez to Hispaniola. Deliverance 
of Columbus from the island of Jamaica. [1504.] 

It is proper here to give some account of the mis- 
sion of Diego Mendez and Bartholomew Fiesco. When 
they had taken leave of the adelantado at the east end 
of the island of Jamaica, they continued all day in a 
direct course ; there was no wind, the sky was without 
a cloud, and the sea like a mirror reflecting the burning 
rays of the sun. The Indians who paddled the canoes 
would often leap into the water to cool their glowing 
bodies, and refresh themselves from their toil. At the 
going down of the sun they lost sight of land. During 
the night the Indians took turns, one half to row while 
the others slept. The Spaniards, in like manner, divided 
their forces; while some took repose, the others sat with 
their weapons in their hands, ready to defend themselves 



OF COLUMBUS. 297 

in case of any perfidy on the part of their savage com- 
panions. 

Watching and toihng in this way through the night, 
they were excessively fatigued on the following day ; 
and, to add to their distress, they began to experience 
the torments of thirst : for the Indians, parched with 
heat, had already drained the contents of their calabashes. 
In proportion as the sun rose, their misery increased ; 
and was irritated by the prospect around them, nothing 
but water, while they were perishing with thirst. About 
mid day, when their strength was failing them, the com- 
manders produced two small kegs of water, which they 
had probably reserved in secret for such an extremity. 
Administering a cooling mouthful occasionally, they en- 
abled the Indians to resume their toils. They held out 
the hopes of soon arriving at a small island, called Na- 
vasa, which lay directly in their w^ay, about eight leagues 
distant from Hispaniola. Here they would find water 
to assuage their thirst, and would be able to take repose. 

The night closed upon them without any sight of the 
island; they feared that they had deviated from their 
course ; if so, they should miss the island entirely, and 
peri»h with thirst before they could reach Hispaniola. 
One of the indians died of the accumulated sulferings 
of labour, heat, and raging thirst ; others lay panting and 
gasping at the bottom of the canoes. Their companions 
were scarcely able to continue their toils. Sometimes 
they endeavoured to cool their parched palates by taking 
sea water in their mouths, but its briny bitterness only 
increased their thirst. One after another gave up, and 
it seemed impossible that they should live to reach His- 
paniola. 

The commanders, by admirable management, had 



^98 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

hitherto kept up this weary struggle with suffering and 
despair ; but they too began to despond. Diego Mendez 
sat watching the horizon, which was gradually lighting 
up with those faint rays which precede the rising of the 
moon. As that planet arose, he perceived it to emerge 
from behind a dark mass elevated above the level of the 
ocean. It proved to be the island of Navasa, but so 
low, and small and distant, that, had it not been thus re- 
vealed by the rising moon, he would never have dis- 
covered it. He immediately gave the animating cry of 
" land." His almost expiring companions were roused 
to new life, and exerted themselves with feverish impa- 
tience. By the dawn of day they sprang on shore, and 
returned thanks to God for their deliverance. The 
island was a mere barren mass of rocks, but they found 
abundance of rain w^ater in hollow places. The Spa- 
niards exercised some degree of caution in their draughts, 
but the poor indians, whose toils had increased the fever 
of their thirst, gave way to a kind of frantic indulgence, 
of which several died upon the spot, and others fell dan- 
gerously ill. 

After reposing all day on the island, where they made 
a grateful repast upon shell-fish gathered along- the 
shore, they set off in the evening for Hispaniola, the 
mountains of which were distinctly visible, and ar- 
rived at Cape Tiburon on the following day, the fourth 
since their departure from Jamaica. Fiesco would now 
have returned to give the admiral assurance of the safe 
arrival of his messenger, but both Spaniards and indians 
refused to encounter the perils of another voyage in the 
canoes. 

Parting with his companions, Diego Mendez took six 
indians of the island, and set off for San Domingo. 



OF COLUMBUS. fi99 

After proceeding for eighty leagues against the currents, 
he was informed that the governor had departed for Xa- 
ragua, fifty leagues distant. Still undaunted by fatigues 
and difliculties, he abandoned the canoe, and proceeded 
alone, on foot, through forest and over mountains, until 
he arrived at Xaragua, achieving one of the most peri- 
lous expeditions ever undertaken by a devoted follower 
for the safety of his commander. 

He found Ovando completely engrossed by wars with 
the natives. The governor expressed great concern at 
the unfortunate situation of Columbus, and promised to 
send him immediate relief; but Mendez remained for 
seven months at Xaragua, vainly urging for that relief, or 
for permission to go to San Domingo in quest of it. The 
constant excuse of Ovando was, that there were not ships 
of sufficient burthen in the island to bring off Columbus 
and his men. At length, by daily importunity, Mendez 
obtained permission to go to San Domingo, and await 
the arrival of certain ships which were expected. He 
immediately set out on foot ; the distance was seventy 
leagues, and part of his toilsome journey lay through 
forests and mountains, infested by hostile and exaspe- 
rated Indians. Immediately after his departure, Ovando 
dispatched from Xaragua the pardoned rebel, Escobar, 
on that reconnoitering visit, which caused so much won- 
der and suspicion among the companions of Columbus. 

If the governor had really, entertained hopes that, 
during the delay of relief, Columbus might perish in the 
island, the report brought back by Escobar must have 
completely disappointed him. No time was now to be 
lost, if he wished to claim any merit in his deliverance, 
or to avoid the disgrace of having totally neglected him. 
His long delay had already roused the public indigna- 



SOO THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

tion, insomuch that animadversions had been made upon 
his conduct even in the pulpits. Diego Mendez, also, 
had hired and victualled a vessel at the expense of Co- 
lumbus, and was on the point of despatching it. The go- 
vernor, therefore, exerted himself, at the eleventh hour, 
and fitted out a caraval, which he put under the com- 
mand of Diego de Salcedo, the agent employed by Co- 
lumbus to collect his rents in San Domingo. It was 
these two vessels which arrived at Jamaica shortly after 
the battle with Porras, and brought relief to the admiral 
and his faithful adherents, after a long year of dismal 
confinement to the wreck.* 

On the 28th of June, all the Spaniards embarked, 
friend and foe, on board of the vessels, and made sail 
joyfully for San Domingo ; but, from adverse winds and 
currents, they did not arrive there until. the 13th of Au- 

* Some brief notice of the further fortunes of Diego Mendez may 
be interesting to the reader. 

When King Ferdinand heard of his faithful services, he bestowed re- 
wards upon him, and permitted him to bear a canoe in his coat of arms, 
as a memento of his hardy enterprise. He continued devotedly attach- 
ed to the admiral, serving him zealously after his return to Spain, and du- 
ring his last illness. Columbus retained a grateful and affectionate 
sense of his fidelity. On his death-bed, he promised Mendez that he 
should be appointed principal alguazil of the island of Hispaniola. The 
promise, however, was hot performed by the heirs of Columbus. Men- 
dez was afterwards engaged in various voyages of discovery, met with 
many vicissitudes, and died poor. In his last will, he requested that his 
armorial bearing of an Indian canoe should be engraved on his tomb- 
stone, and under it the following words : " Here lies the honourable 
Cavalier, Diego Mendez ; who served greatly the royal crown of Spain, 
in the conquest of the Indies, with Admiral Christopher Columbus, of 
glorious memory, who made the discovery ; and afterwards by himself, 
in ships at his own cost. Bestow, in charity, a paternoster and an ave- 
maria." 



OF COLUMBUS. 301 

gust. Whatever lurking enmity there might be to Co- 
lumbus in the place, it was overpowered by popular sym- 
pathy for his late disasters. Whatever had been denied 
to his merits was granted to his misfortunes ; and even 
the envious, appeased by his present reverses, seemed to 
forgive him for having once been so triumphant. 

The governor and the principal inhabitants came forth 
to meet him, and received him with signal distinction. 
He was lodged in the house of Ovando, who treated him 
with the utmost courtesy and attention ; but there were 
too deep causes of jealousy and distrust between them 
for their intercourse to be cordial. Their powers, too, 
were so defined in their several patents, as to clash with 
each other, and to cause questions of jurisdiction. Ovan- 
do assumed a right to take cognizance of all transactions 
at Jamaica, as happening within the limits of his go- 
vernment. He set at liberty the traitor Porras, and 
talked of punishing the followers of Columbus for the 
deaths of the mutineers whom they had slain in battle, 
Columbus, on the other hand, asserted the absolute ju- 
risdiction given him by the sovereigns, in his letter of in- 
structions, over all persons who sailed in his expedition, 
from the time of their departure from Spain until their 
return. The governor heard him with great courtesy and 
a smiling countenance, but observed, that the letter gave 
him no authority within the bounds of his government. 
He relinquished the idea, however, of trying the faiths- 
ful adherents of Columbus, and sent Porras to Spain, to 
be examined by the board which had charge of the af- 
fairs of the Indies. 

26 



302 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 



CHAPTER XLIV. 



Affairs at Hispaniola, during the Administration of 
Ovando. Return of Columbus to Spain. [1504.] 

The sojourn of Columbus at San. Domingo was but lit- 
tle calculated to yield him satisfaction. He was grieved 
at the desolation of the island, through the oppressive 
treatment of the natives, and the horrible massacres 
which had taken place under the administration of Ovan- 
do ; and here let us turn for a moment from pursuing the 
story of the admiral, to notice some of the principal oc- 
currences which had taken place in Hispaniola during 
his absence. 

A great crowd of adventurers, of various ranks, had 
thronged the fleet of Ovando, all confidently expecting 
to make sudden fortunes. They had scarcely landed 
when they all hurried off to the mines, which were about 
eight leagues distant. The road swarmed like an ant- 
hill. Every one had his knapsack of biscuit and flour, 
and his mining implements on his shoulder. Those hi- 
dalgos, or gentlemen, who had no servants to carry 
their burdens, were fain to bear them on their own backs, 
and lucky was he who had a horse for the expedition, 
for he would be able to bring back the greater load of 
treasure. They all set ofl?" in high spirits, eager who 
should first reach the golden land; thinking they had 
but to arrive at the mines, and gather gold, as easily and 
readily as fruit from the trees. When they arrived, how- 
ever, they found, to their dismay, that it required expe- 
rience to discover the veins of ore ; that the whole pro- 



OF COLUMBUS. 30S 

cess of mining was exceedingly slow and toilsome, and 
its results precarious. 

They digged eagerly for a time, but found no ore ; 
growing hungry, they threw by their implements, sat 
down to eat, and then returned to work. It was all 
in vain. " Their labour," says Las Casas, " gave them 
a keen appetite and quick digestion, but no gold." 
They soon exhausted their provisions and their patience, 
and returned murmuring along the road they had lately 
tiod so exultingly. They arrived at San Domingo half 
famished, downcast, and despairing. Such is too often 
the case of those who ignorantly engage in mining ; 
which, of all objects of speculation, is the most brilliant, 
promising, and fallacious. Poverty soon fell upon these 
misguided men. Some wasted away, and died broken- 
hearted ; others were hurried off by raging fevers ; so 
that there soon perished upwards of a thousand men. 

Ovando was reputed a man of great prudence and sa- 
gacity, and he certainly took several judicious measures 
for the regulation of the island and the relief of the co- 
lonists ; but his policy was fatal to the natives. When 
he had been sent out to supercede Bobadilla, the queen, 
shocked at the cruel bondage which had been inflicted 
on the Indians, had pronounced them all free. The con- 
sequence was, they immediately refused to labour in the 
mines. 

Ovando, in 1503, represented, that this entire liberty 
granted to the natives was not merely ruinous to the co- 
lony, but detrimental to themselves, as it produced ha- 
bits of idleness, profligacy, and neglect of all religion. 
The sovereigns permitted, therefore, that they should be 
obliged to labour moderately, if essential to their well- 
being, but that they should be paid regularly and fairly, 



304 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

and instructed in religion on certain days, and that all 
compulsory measures should be tempered with persua- 
sion and kindness. Under cover of this hired labour, thus 
intended for the health of soul and body, more intolera- 
ble toil was exacted from them, and more horrible cruel- 
ties inflicted, than in the worst days of Bobadilla. Ma- 
ny perished from hunger, or sunk under the lash ; many 
killed themselves in despair ; and even mothers over- 
came the powerful instinct of nature, and destroyed the 
infants at their breasts, to spare them a life of wretched- 
ness. Even those who survived the exacted terms of la- 
bour, and were permitted to returix to their homes, which 
were often sixty and eighty leagues distant, were dis- 
missed so worn down by toil and hardship, and so scanti- 
ly furnished with provisions, that they perished by the 
way. Some sank down and died by thte side of a brook, 
others under the shade of a tree, where they had crawl- 
ed for shelter from the 'sun. " I have f<$itnd many dead 
on the road," says tlTe venerable Bishgk Las Casas; 
" others gasping under the trees, and othe^ in the pangs 
of death, faintly crying, Hunger ! hunger !" 

The wars of Ovando were equally desolating. To pu- 
nish a slight insurrection in the province of Higuey, at 
the eastern end of the island, he sent his troops, who 
ravaged the country with fire and sword, showed no 
mercy to age or sex, put many to death with the most 
wanton, ingenious, and horrible tortures, and brought off 
the brave Cotabanama, one of the five sovereign caciques 
of the island, in chains to San Domingo, where he was 
ignominiously hanged by Ovando for the crime of de- 
fending his territory and his native soil against usurping 
strangers. 

But the most atrocious act of Ovando, and one that 



or COLUMBUS. 305 

must heap odium on his name wherever the woes of the 
gentle natives of Hayti create an interest, was the pu- 
nishment he inflicted on the province of Xaragua for a 
pretended conspiracy. The exactions of tribute in this 
once happy and hospitable province had caused occa- 
sional quarrels between the inferior caciques and the 
Spaniards ; these were magnified by alarmists, and Ovan- 
do was persuaded that there was a deep-laid plot among 
the natives to rise upon their oppressors. He immedi- 
ately set out for Xaragua, at the head of nearly four 
hundred well-armed soldiers, seventy of whom were 
steel-clad horsemen. He gave out that he was going on 
a visit of friendship, to make arrangements about the 
payment of tribute. 

Behechio, the ancient cacique of the province, was 
dead, and his sister, Anacaona, had succeeded to the go- 
vernment. She came forth to meet Ovando, according 
to the custom of her nation, attended by her most dis- 
tinguished subjects, and her train of damsels, waving 
palm branches, and dancing to the cadence of their po- 
pular areytos. All her principal caciques had been as- 
sembled to do honour to her guests, who for several days 
were entertained with banquets and national games and 
dances. In return for these exhibitions, Ovando invited 
Anacaona, with her beautiful daughter Higuenamota, and 
her principal subjects, to witness a tilting match by the 
cavalry in the public square. When all were assembled, 
the square crowded with unarmed Indians, Ovando gave 
a signal, and instantly the horsemen rushed into the 
midst of the naked and defenceless throng, trampling 
them under foot, cutting them down with their swords, 
transfixing them with their lances, and sparing neither 
ao'e nor sex. Above eighty caciques had been assem- 

26* 



306. THE LIFE A.ND VOYAGES 

bled in one of the principarhouses. It was siirroundcil 
by troops, the caciques were bound to the posts which 
supported the roof, and put to cruel tortures, until, in the 
extremity of anguish, they were made to admit the truth 
of the plot with which their queen and themselves had 
been charged. When self-accusation had thus been tor- 
tured from them, a horrible punishment was immediate- 
ly inflicted ; fire was set to the house, and they all perish- 
ed miserably in the flames. 

As to Anacaona, she was carried to San Domingo, 
where the mockery of a trial was given her, in which she 
was found guilty, on the confessions wrung by torture 
from her subjects, and on the testimony of their butchers, 
and she was barbarously hanged by the people whom she 
had so long and so signally befriended. 

After the massacre at Xaragua, the destruction of its 
inhabitants still went on ; they were hunted for six 
months amidst the fastnesses of the mountains, and their 
country ravaged by horse and foot, until, all being re- 
duced to deplorable misery and abject submission, Ovan- 
do pronounced the province restored to order, and, in 
commemoration of his triumph, founded a town near the 
lake, which he called Santa Maria de la Verdadera Paz 
(St. Mary of the True Peace.) 

Such was the tragical fate of the beautiful Anacaona, 
once extolled as the Golden Flower of Hayti ; and such 
the story of the delightful region of Xaragua ; a place 
which the Europeans, by their own account, found a per- 
fect paradise, but which, by their vile passions, they filled 
with horror and desolation. 

These are but brief and scanty anecdotes of the ruth- 
less system which had been pursued, during the absence 
of the admiral, by the commander Ovando, this man of 



OF COLUMBUS. 307 

boasted prudence and moderation, who had been sent to 
reform the abuses of the island, and above all to redress 
the wrongs of the natives. The system of Columbus 
may have borne hard upon the Indians, born and brought 
up as they were in untasked freedom, but it was never 
cruel or sanguinary. He had fondly hoped, at one time, 
to render them civilized, industrious, and tributary sub- 
jects to the crown, zealous converts to the faith, and to 
derive from their regular tributes a great and steady re- 
venue. How different had been the event ! The five 
great tribes which had peopled the mountains and the 
valleys, at the time of the discovery, and had rendered 
by their mingled villages and hamlets, and tracts of cul- 
tivation, the rich levels of the vegas so many " painted 
gardens," had almost all passed away, and the native 
princes had perished chiefly by violent and ignominious 
deaths. " I am informed," said he, in a letter to the 
sovereigns, " that since I left this island, six parts out of 
seven of the natives are dead, all through ill-treatment 
and inhumanity ; some by the sword, others by blows 
and cruel usage, others through hunger ; the greater part 
have perished in the mountains, whither they had fled, 
from not being able to support the labour imposed upon 
them." 

He found his own immediate concerns in great confu- 
sion. His rents and arrears, were either uncollected, or 
he could not obtain a clear account and a full liquidation 
of them ; and he complained that Ovando had impeded 
his agents in their management of his concerns. The 
continual misunderstandings which took place between 
him and the governor, though always qualified on the part 
of the latter with courtly complaisance, induced Colum- 
bus to hasten his departure. He caused the ship in 



308 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

which he had returned from Jamaica to be repaired and 
fitted out, and another hired, in which he offered a pas- 
sage to such of his late crew as chose to return. The 
greater part preferred to remain in San Domingo : as 
they were in great poverty, he relieved their necessities 
from his own purse, and advanced money to those who 
accompanied him for the expenses of their voyage. All 
the funds he could collect were exhausted in these dis- 
bursements, and many of the m.en thus relieved by his 
generosity had been among the most violent of the 
rebels. 

On the 12th of September he set sail, but had scarcely 
left the harbour M^hen the mast of his ship was carried 
away in a sudden squall. He embarked, therefore, with 
his family, in the other vessel, commanded by the Ade- 
lantado, and sent back the damaged ship to port. For- 
tune continued to persecute him to the end of this his 
last and most disastrous expedition. Throughout the 
voyage he experienced tempestuous weather, suffering 
at the same time the excruciating torments of the gout, 
until on the 7th of November, his crazy and shattered bark 
anchored in the harbour of San Lucar. From thence he 
proceeded to Seville, to enjoy a little tranquillity of mind 
and body, and to recruit his health after his long series 
of fatigues, anxieties, and hardships. 



OF COLUMBUS. 



CHAPTER XLV. 



Fruitless application of Columbus to he reinstated in his 
government. His last illness and death. [1504.] 

The residence of Columbus during the winter at Se- 
ville has generally been represented as an interval of 
repose : never was honourable repose more merited, 
more desired, and less enjoyed. Care and sorrow were 
destined to follow him, by sea and land ; and in varying 
the scene, he but varied the nature of his afflictions. 
Ever since his memorable arrest by Bobadilla, his affairs 
had remained in confusion, and his rents and dues had 
been but partially and irregularly collected, and were 
detained in intermediate hands. The last voyage had 
exhausted his finances, and involved him in embarrass- 
ments. All that he had been able to collect of the 
money due to him in Hispaniola, had been expended in 
bringing home many of his late crew, and for the greater 
part, the crown remained his debtor. The world 
thovight him possessed of countless wealth, while in fact 
he was suffering a degree of penury. 

In letters Avritten at this time to his son Diego, he re- 
peatedly urges to him, the necessity of practising ex- 
treme economy until the arrears due to him should be 
paid. " I receive nothing of the revenue due to me," 
says he, on another occasion, " but live by borrowing. 
Little have I profited by twenty years of toils and perils, 
since at present I do not own a roof in Spain. I have 
no resort but an inn, and, for the most times, have not 
wherewithal to pay my bill." 

Being unable, from his infirmities, to go to court, he 



310 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

had to communicate with the sovereigns by letter, or 
through the intervention of friends, and exerted himself 
strenuously, but ineffectually, to draw their attention to 
the disastrous state of Hispaniola under the administra- 
tion of Ovando, to obtain the restitution of his honours, 
and the payment of his arrears, and what seemed to lay 
equally near his heart, to obtain relief for his unfortunate 
seamen. 

His letters were unregarded, or at least unanswered , 
his claims remained unsatisfied ; and a cold indifference 
and neglect appeared to prevail towards him. All the 
tidings from the court filled him with uneasiness. Porras, 
the ringleader of the late faction, had been sent home 
by Ovando to appear before the council of the Indies, 
but the oflicial documents in his cause had not arrived. 
He went at large, and being related to Morales the royal 
treasurer, had access to people in place, and an oppor- 
tunity of enlisting their opinions and prejudices on his 
side. Columbus began to fear that the violent scenes 
in Jamaica might, by the perversity of his enemies and 
the effrontery of the delinquents, be wrested into matters 
of accusation against him, as had been the case with the 
rebellion of Roldan. The faithful and indefatigable 
Diego Mendez was at this time at court, and he trusted 
to his honest representations to counteract the false- 
hoods of Porras. Nothing can surpass the affecting ear- 
nestness and simplicity with which, in one of his letters, 
he declares his loyalty. " I have served their majesties," 
says he, " with as much zeal and diligence as il it had 
been to gain Paradise ; and if I have failed in any thing, 
it has been because my knowledge and powers went no 
further." Whilst reading this touching appeal, we can 
scarcely realize the fact, that it should be written by Co- 



OF COLUMBUS. 311 

lumbus ; the same extraordinary man, who, but a few 
years before, had been idolized at this court as a bene- 
factor, and received with almost royal honours. 

His anxiety to have a personal interview with the 
sovereigns became every day more intense ; he felt the 
inefficacy of letter writing, and indeed even that resource 
began to fail him, for the severity of his malady for a 
great part of the time deprived him of the use of his 
hands. He made repeated attempts to set off for the 
court ; a litter was once actually at the door to convey 
him thither, but his increasing infirmities, and the in- 
clemency of the season, obliged him to abandon the jour- 
ney. In the mean time, the intrigues of his enemies ap- 
peared to be prevailing ; the cold hearted Ferdinand 
treated all his applications with indifference ; on the jus- 
tice and magnanimity of Isabella alone he relied for the 
redress of his grievances, but she lay dangerously ill. 
" May it please the Holy Trinity," says he, " to restore 
our sovereign queen to health ; for by her will every 
thing be adjusted which is now in confusion." Alas ! 
while writing that letter, his noble benefactress was a 
corpse ! 

The health of Isabella had long been undermined by 
repeated shocks of domestic calamities. The death of 
her only son, the Prince Juan ; of her beloved daughter, and 
bosom friend, the Princess Isabella; and of her grandson 
and prospective heir, the Prince Miguel, had been three 
cruel wounds to her maternal heart. To these, were 
added the constant grief caused by the infirmity of in- 
tellect of her daughter Juana, and the domestic unhap- 
piness of that princess with her husband the Archduke 
Philip. The desolation which walks through palaces, 
admits not the familiar sympathies and sweet consola- 



312 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

tions which alleviate the sorrows of common life. Isa- 
bella pined in state, amidst the obsequious homage of a 
court, surrounded by the trophies of a glorious and sue* 
cessful reign, and placed at the summit of earthly gran- 
deur. A deep and incurable melancholy settled upon 
her, which undermined her constitution, and gave a fatal 
acuteness to her bodily maladies. After four months of 
illness, she died on the 26th of November, 1504, at Me- 
dina del Campo, in the fifty-fourth year of her age ; but 
long before her eyes closed upon the world, her heart 
had closed upon all its pomps and vanities. " Let my 
body," said she, in her will, " be interred in the monas- 
tery of San Francisco, in the alhambra of the city of 
Granada, in a low sepulchre, with no other monument 
than a plain stone, and an inscription. But I desire and 
command, that if the king, my lord, should choose a se- 
pulchre in any church or monastery, in any other part or 
place of these my kingdoms, that my body be transported 
thither, and buried beside the body of his highness ; so 
that the union we have enjoyed while living, and which, 
through the mercy of God, we hope our souls will expe- 
rience in heaven, may be represented by our bodies in 
the earth."* 

Such was one of several passages in the will of this 
admirable woman, which bespoke the chastened humility 
of her heart, and in which, as has been well observed, 

* The dying command of Isabella has been obeyed. The author of 
tliis work has seen her tomb in the royal chapel of the cathedral of 
Granada, in which her remains are interred with those of Ferdinand. 
Their effigies, sculptured in white marble, lie side by side, on a magni- 
ficent sepulchre. The altar of the chapel is adorned with bas reliefs, 
representing the conquest and surrender of Granada. 



OF COLUMBUS. 313 

thn affections of conjugal love were delicately entwined 
with fervent religion and the most tender melancholy. 
She was one of the purest spirits that ever ruled over 
the destinies of a nation. Had she been spared, her be- 
nignant vigilance would have prevented many a scene of 
horror in the colonization of the new world, and might 
have softened the lot of its native inhabitants. As it is, 
her fair name will ever shine with celestial radiance in 
the early dawning of its history. 

The news of the death of Isabella reached Columbus 
while he was writing a letter to his son. He notices it 
in a postscript or memorandum, written in the haste and 
brevity of the moment, but in beautifully touching and 
mournful terms. " A memorial," he writes, " for thee, 
my dear son Diego, of what is at present to be done. 
The principal thing is to commend affectionately, and 
with great devotion, the soul of the queen, our sove- 
reign, to God. Her life was always catholic and pious, 
and prompt to all things in his holy service ; for this rea- 
son we may rest assured that she is received into his 
glory, and beyond the cares of this rough and weary 
world. The next thing is, to watch and labour in all 
matters for the service of our sovereign, the king, and to 
endeavour to alleviate his grief. His majesty is the head 
of Christendom. Remember the proverb, which says, 
when the head suffers, all the members suffer. There- 
fore all good Christians should pray for his health and 
long life ; and we, who are in his employ, ought more 
than others to do this with all study and diligence." 

It is impossible to read this letter without being mo- 
ved by the simply eloquent yet artless language in which 
Columbus expresses his tenderness for the memory of 
his benefactress, his weariness under the gathering cares 
27 



314 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

and ills of life, and his persevering and enduring loyalty 
towards the sovereign who was so ungratefully neglect- 
ing him. 

The death of Isabella was a fatal blow to his fortunes. 
While she lived, he h^d every thing to anticipate froM 
her high sense of justice, her regard for her royal word, 
her gratitude for his services, and her admiration of his 
character. With her illness, however, his interests had 
languished ; and when she died, he was left to the jus- 
tice and generosity of Ferdinand ! 

During the remainder of the winter, and a great part 
of the spring, he remained at Seville, detained by pain- 
ful illness. His brother, the Adelantado, who supported 
him with his accustomed fondness and devotion through 
all his trials, proceeded to court to attend to his concerns, 
taking with him the admiral's younger son, Fernando, 
then aged about seventeen. The latter the affectionate 
father repeatedly represents to his son Diego, as a man 
in understanding and conduct, though but a stripling in 
years, and inculcates the strongest fraternal attachment : 
alluding to his own brethren with one of those warm and 
affecting touches which speak the kindness of his heart. 
" To thy brother conduct thyself as the elder brother 
should unto the younger. Thou hast no other, and I 
praise God that this is such a one as thou dost need. 
Ten brothers would not be too many for thee. Never 
have I found a better friend, to right or left, than my 
brothers." 

Among the persons whom Columbus employed, at this 
time, in his missions to the court, was Amerigo Vespucci. 
He describes him as a worthy but unfortunate man, who 
had not profited as much as he deserved by his under- 
takings, and who had always been disposed to render 
him service. 



OF COLUMBUS. SllS- 

It was not until the month of May that Columbus waa 
able to accomplish his journey to court, which was at 
that time at Segovia. He, who but a few years before 
had entered the city of Barcelona in triumph, attended 
by the chivalry of Spain, and hai.jed with rapture by the 
multitude, now arrived at the gates of Segovia, a way- 
worn, melancholy, and neglected man; oppressed even 
more by sorrows than by his years and infirmities. 
When he presented himself at court, he was made la- 
mentably sensible of the loss of his protectress, the be- 
nignant Isabella. He met with none of that distinguish- 
ed attention, that cordial kindness, that cherishing sym- 
pathy, which his unparalleled services and his recent 
sufferings had merited. Ferdinand, it is true, received 
him with many professions of kindness ; but with those 
cold, ineffectual smiles, which pass like wintry sunshine 
over the countenance, and convey no warmth to the 
heart. 

Many months were passed by Columbus in painful and 
humiliating solicitation. His main object was to obtain 
the restitution of his high offices as viceroy and governor 
of the Indies: as to the mere pecuniary claims for re- 
venues and arrears, he considered them of minor import- 
ance, and nobly offered to leave them to the disposition 
of the king ; but his official dignities belonged to his re- 
putation ; they had been granted also, by solemn treaty, 
and were not to be made a matter of arbitrament. As 
the latter, however, were precisely the claims which the 
jealous monarch was the least disposed to grant, they 
stood continually in the way of all arrangement. The 
whole matter was at one time referred to a tribunal, call- 
ed the " Junta de Descargos," which had charge of the 
settlement of the affairs of the late queen, but nothing 



316 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

resulted from their deliberations ; the wishes of the king 
were too well known to be thwarted. 

Columbus endeavoured to bear these delays with pa- 
tience ; but he had no longer the physical strength, and 
the glorious anticipations, which had once sustained him 
through his long application at this court. He was 
again confined to his bed by a return of the gout, aggra- 
vated by the irritations of his spirit. From this couch 
of anguish, he addressed one more appeal to the justice 
of the king. He no longer petitioned for himself, but 
for his son Diego. He entreated that he might be ap- 
pointed in his place to the government of which he had 
been so wrongfully deprived. " This," said he, " is a 
matter which concerns my honour ; as to all the rest, do 
as your majesty thinks proper ; give or withhold, as may 
be most for your interest, and I shall be content. I be- 
lieve it is the anxiety caused by the delay of this affair, 
which is the principal cause of my ill health." 

This petition was treated by Ferdinand with his usual 
evasions ; he endeavoured i*) prevail upon Columbus and 
his son to waive their claims to paramount dignities in 
the new world, and accept, in place thereof, titles and 
estates in Castile. Columbus rejected all proposals of 
the kind with indignation, as calculated to compromise 
those titles which were the trophies of his achievements. 
He saw, however, that all further hope of redress from 
Ferdinand was vain. From the bed to which he was 
confined, he addressed a letter to his constant friend, 
Diego de Deza, then Archbishop of Seville, expressive 
of his despair. " It appears," said he, " that his majes- 
ty does not think fit to fulfil that which he, with the 
queen who is now in glory, promised me by word and 
seal. For me to contend to the contrary, would be to 
contend with the wind, I have done all that I could do* 



OF COLUMBUS. 317 

I leave the rest to God, whom I have ever found propi- 
tious to me in my necessities." 

In the midst of illness and despondency, when both 
life and hope were expiring in the bosom of Columbus, 
a new gleam was awakened, and blazed up for the mo- 
ment with characteristic fervour. He heard with joy of 
the arrival from Flanders of King Philip and Queen Jua- 
na, to take possession of their throne of Castile. In the 
daughter of Isabella, he trusted to find a patroness and a 
friend. King Ferdinand and all the court repaired to 
Doredo, to receive the youthful sovereigns. Columbus 
sent his brother, the Adelantado, to represent him, and 
wrote a letter to the king and queen, lamenting his being 
prevented by illness from coming in person to manifest 
his devotion. He expressed a hope, that he should re- 
ceive at their hands a restitution of his honours and es- 
tates ; and assured them that, though cruelly tortured at 
present by disease, he would yet be able to render them 
services, the like of which had never been witnessed. 

Such was the last sally of his sanguine and uncon- 
querable spirit; which, disregarding age and infirmi- 
ties, and all past sorrows and disappointments, spoke 
from his dying bed with all the confidence of youthful 
hope, and talked of still greater enterprises, as if he had 
a long and vigorous life before him. The Adelantado 
took an affectionate leave of his brother, whom he was 
never to behold again, and set out on his mission to the 
new sovereigns. He experienced the most gracious re- 
ception, and flattering hopes were given him that the 
claims of the admiral would speedily be satisfied. 

In the mean time, the cares and troubles of Columbus 
were drawing to a close. The transient fire which had 
recently reanimated him was soon quenched by accumu- 
27* 



318 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

lating infirmities. Immediately after the departure of 
the Adelantado, his illness increased in violence. Find- 
ing that his end was approaching, he arranged all his 
earthly affairs, for the benefit of his successors. In a 
codicil made on the eve of his decease, he enforced his 
original testament, constituting his son Diego his univer- 
sal heir, entailing his honours and estates on the male 
line of his family, and providing for his brothers Don 
Bartholomew and Don Diego, and his natural son Don 
Fernando. In his will he enjoined that a portion of his 
revenues should be annually deposited in the bank of St. 
George, at Genoa, until a sufficient sum should be accu- 
mulated to set on foot a crusade to the holy land ; for the 
rescue of the holy sepulchrenvas, to the last, the great 
object of his ambition, and he left a solemn charge upon 
his heirs to aid personally in the pious enterprise. Other 
provisions were made for the foundation of churches — ■ 
the support of Beatrix Enriquez, the mother of Fernan- 
do — the relief of his poor relations, and the payment of 
the most trivial debts. 

Having thus scrupulously attended to all the claims of 
affection, loyalty, and justice, upon earth, he turned his 
thoughts to Heaven, confessing himself, partaking of the 
holy sacrament, and complying with the other ceremo- 
nies of a devout catholic. In his last moments he was 
attended by his son Diego, and a few faithful followers, 
among whom was Bartholomew Fiesco, who had accom- 
panied Diego Mendez in the perilous expedition from 
Jamaica to Hispaniola. Surrounded by these devoted 
friends, he expired, with great resignation, on the 20th 
of May, 1506, being about seventy years of age. His 
last words were, " In manus tuas, Domine, commendo 
spiritum meum." " Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend 
my spirit." 



OF COLUMBUS. 319 

CHAPTER XLVI. 

Observations on the Character of Columbus. 

Columbus was a man of great and inventive genius. 
The operations of his mind were energetic, but irregu- 
lar ; bursting forth, at times, with that irresistible force 
which characterizes intellects of such an order. His 
ambition was lofty and noble, inspiring him with high 
thoughts, and an anxiety to distinguish himself by great 
achievements. He aimed at dignity and wealth in the 
same elevated spirit with which he sought renown; they 
were to rise from the territories he should discover, and 
be commensurate in importance. The vast gains that 
he anticipated from his discoveries, he intended to ap- 
propriate to princely purposes ; to institu^ons for the re- 
lief of the poor of his native city, to the foundation of 
churches, and, above all, to crusades for the recovery of 
the holy sepulchre. 

He was tenacious of his rank and privileges, not from 
a mere vulgar love of titles, but because he prized them 
as testimonials and trophies of his illustrious deeds. 
Every question of compromise concerning them, he re- 
pulsed with disdain. " These things," said he, nobly, 
" concern my honour." In his testament, he enjoined on 
his son Diego, and whomsoever after him should inherit 
his estates, whatever other titles might be granted by the 
king, always to sign himself simply " The Admiral," by 
way of perpetuating in the family the source of its real 
greatness. 

His conduct was characterized by the grandeur of his 
views, and the magnanimity of his spirit. Instead of ra- 



320 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

vaging the newly found countries like many of his con- 
temporary discoverers, who were intent only on imme- 
diate gain, he regarded them with the eyes of a legisla- 
tor ; he sought to colonize and cultivate them, to civilize 
the natives, to subject every thing to the control of law, 
order, and religion, and thus to found regular and pros- 
perous empires. That he failed in this, was the fault of 
the dissolute rabble which it was his misfortune to com- 
mand, with whom all law was tyranny, and all order op- 
pression. 

He was naturally irritable and impetuous, and keenly 
sensible to injury and injustice ; yet the quickness of his 
temper was counteracted by the benevolence and gene- 
rosity of his heart. The magnanimity of his nature 
shone forth through all the troubles of his stormy career. 
Though continually outraged in his dignity, braved in his 
authority, foiled in his plans, and endangered in his per- 
son, by the seditions of turbulent and worthless men, and 
that, too, at times when suffering under anguish of body 
and anxiety of mind, enough to exasperate the most pa- 
tient, yet he restrained his valiant and indignant spirit, 
and brought himself to forbear, and reason, and even to 
supplicate. Nor should we fail to notice how free he was 
from all feeling of revenge, how ready to forgive and 
forget on the least signs of repentance and atonement. 
He has been extolled for his skill in controlling others, 
but far greater praise is due to him for the firmness he 
displayed in governing himself. 

His piety was genuine and fervent ; religion mingled 
with the whole course of his thoughts and actions, and 
shone forth in his most private and unstudied writings. 
Whenever he made any great discovery, he devoutly re- 
turned thanks to God. The voice of prayer and the me- 



OF COLUMBUS. 321 

lody of praise rose from his ships on discovering the 
new world, and his first action on landing was to pros- 
trate himself upon the earth, and offer up thanksgivings. 
Every evening the Salve Regina, and other vesper 
hymns, were chanted by his crew, and masses were per- 
formed in the beautiful groves that bordered the wild 
shores of this heathen land. All his great enterprises 
were undertaken in the name of the Holy Trinity, and 
he partook of the holy sacrament previous to embarca- 
tion. He observed the festivals of the church in the 
wildest situations. The sabbath was to him a day of sa- 
cred rest, on which he would never sail from a port un- 
less in case of extreme necessity. The religion thus 
deeply sea'ted in his soul diffused a sober dignity, and a 
benign composure, over his whole deportment ; his very 
language was pure and guarded, and free from all gross 
or irreverent expressions. 

It cannot be denied, however, that his piety was ming- 
led with superstition, and darkened by the bigotry of the 
age. He evidently concurred in the opinion, that all the 
nations who did not acknowledge the christian faith were 
destitute of natural rights; and that the sternest measures 
might be used for their conversion, and the severest pu- 
nishments inflicted upon them, if obstinate in unbelief. 
In this spirit of bigotry he considered himself justified 
in making captives of the Indians, and transporting them 
to Spain, to have them taught the doctrines of Christiani- 
ty, and in selling them for slaves if they pretended to 
resist his invasions. In doing the latter, he sinned against 
the natural goodness of his heart, and ag^ainst the feel- 
ings he had originally entertained and expressed towards 
this gentle and hospitable people ; but he was goaded on 
by the mercenary impatience of the crown, and by the 



332 THE LIFE AND VOYAGES 

sneers of his enemies, at the unprofitable result of his 
enterprises. It is but justice to his character to observe, 
that the enslavement of the Indians thus taken in battle 
was at first openly countenanced by the crown, and that, 
when the question of right came to be discussed at the 
request of the queen, several of the most distinguished 
jurists and theologians advocated the practice ; so that 
the question was finally settled in favour of the Indians 
solely by the humanity of Isabella. As the venerable 
bishop Las Casas observes, where the most learned men 
have doubted, it is not surprising that an unlearned ma- 
riner should err. 

These remarks, in palliation of the conduct of Colum- 
bus, are required by candour. It is proper to show him 
in connexion with the age in which he lived, lest the er- 
rors of the times should be considered his individual 
faults. It is not intended, however, to justify him on a 
point where it is inexcusable to err. Let it remain a 
blot on his illustrious name, and let others derive a les- 
son from it. 

A peculiar trait in his rich and varied character re- 
mains to be noticed ; namely, that ardent and enthusias- 
tic imagination, which threw a magnificence over his 
whole course of thought. A poetical temperament is 
discernible throughout all his writings and in all his ac- 
tions. We see it in all his descriptions of the beauties 
of the wild lands he was discovering; in the enthusiasm 
with which he extols the verdure of the forests, the gran- 
deur of the mountains, and the crystal clearness of the 
running streams ; the blandness of the temperature, the 
purity of the atmosphere, and the fragrance of the air, 
"full of dew and sweetness." It spread a golden and 
glorious world around him, and tinged every thing with 



OF COLUMBUS^ 323 

its own gorgeous colours. It betrayed him into visiona- 
ry speculations, which subjected him to the sneers and 
cavils of men of cooler and safer, but more grovelling 
minds. Such were the conjectures formed on the coast 
of Paria, about the form of the earth, and the situation 
of the terrestrial paradise ; about the mines of Ophir, 
and the Aurea Chersonesus of the ancients ; and such 
was the heroic scheme of a crusade, for the recovery of 
the holy sepulchre. It filled his mind with solemn and 
visionary meditations on mystic passages of the scrip- 
tures, and on the shadowy portents of the prophecies. 
It exalted his own office in his eyes, and made him con- 
ceive himself an agent .sent forth upon a sublime and 
awful mission, and subject to mysterious intimations 
from the Deity ; such as the voice which he imagined 
spoke to him in comfort amidst the troubles of Hispanio- 
la, and in the silence of the night on the disastrous coast 
of Veragua. 

He was decidedly a visionary, but a visionary of an 
imcommon kind, and successful in his dreams. The man- 
ner in which his ardent imagination and mercurial na- 
ture were controlled by a powerful judgment, and direct- 
ed by an acute sagacity, is the most extraordinary fea- 
ture in his character. Thus governed, his imagination, 
instead of exhausting itself in idle flights, lent aid to his 
judgment, and enabled him to form conclusions at which 
common minds could never have arrived, nay, which 
they could not perceive when pointed out. 

To his intellectual vision it was given to read the signs 
of the times, and to trace in the conjectures and reveries 
of past ages the indications of an unknown world, as sooth- 
sayers were said to read predictions in the stars, and to 
foretell events from the visions of the night. " His soul," 



334 COLUMBUS* 

observes a Spanish writer, " was superior to the age in 
which he lived. For him was reserved the great enter- 
prise of traversing a sea which had given rise to so many 
fables, and of deciphering the mystery of his age." 

With all the visionary fervour of his imagination, its 
fondest dreams fell short of the reality. He died in ig- 
norance of the real grandeur of his discovery ! Until his 
last breath, he entertained the idea that he had merely 
opened a new way to the old resorts of opulent com- 
merce, and had discovered some of the wild regions of 
the east. He supposed Hispaniola to be the ancient 
Ophir, which had been visited by the ships of King Solo- 
mon, and that Cuba and Terra Firma were but remote 
parts of Asia. What visions of glory would have broken 
upon his mind, could he have known that he had indeed 
discovered a new continent equal to the old world in 
magnitude, and separated by two vast oceans from all 
the earth hitherto known by civilized man ! and how 
•would his magnanimous spirit have been consoled, amidst 
the afflictions of age, and the cares of penury, the ne- 
glect of a fickle public, and the injustice of an ungrate- 
ful king, could he have anticipated the splendid empires 
which would arise in the beautiful world he had dis- 
covered; and the nations and tongues and languages 
which were to fill its lands with his renown, and to re- 
vere and bless his name to the latest posterity ! 



APPENDIX. 

Obsequies of Columbus. 

The body of Columbus was deposited in the convent 
of S. Francisco, and his obsequies were celebrated with 
funeral pomp in the parochial church of Santa Maria de 
la Antigua, in Valladolid. His remains were transport- 
ed, in 1513, to the Carthusian convent of Las Cuevas, at 
Seville, and deposited in the chapel of Santa Christo, 
In the year 1536, they were removed to Hispaniola, 
and interred by the side of the grand altar of the cathe- 
dral of the city of San Domingo. But even here they 
did not rest in quiet. On the cession of Hispaniola to 
the French in 1795, it was determined by the Spaniards 
to bear them off to the island of Cuba as precious relics, 
connected with the most glorious epoch of Spanish his- 
tory. Accordingly, on the 20th December, 1795, in the 
presence of an august asseniblage of the dignitaries of 
the church and the civil and military officers, the vault 
was opened beside the high altar of the cathedral : with- 
in were found the fragments of a leaden coffin, a num- 
ber of bones, and a quantity of mould, evidently the re- 
mains of a human body. These were carefully collect- 
ed, and put into a case of gilded lead, secured by an iron 
lock ; the case was enclosed in a coffin covered with 
black velvet, and the whole placed in a temporary mau- 
soleum. On the following day there was another grand 
28 



326 APPENDIX. 

convocation at the cathedral : the vigils and masses for 
the dead were chanted, and a funeral sermon was preach- 
ed by the archbishop. After these solemn ceremonials 
in the cathedral, the coffin was transported to the ship, 
attended by a grand civil, religious, and military proces- 
sion. The banners were covered with crape ; there were 
chants and responses, and discharges of artillery; and 
the most distinguished persons of the several orders 
look turns to support the coffin. 

The reception of the body at Havanna was equally 
august. There was a splendid procession of boats to 
conduct it from the ship to the shore. On passing the 
vessels of war in the harbour, they all paid the honours 
due to an admiral and captain-general of the navy. On 
arriving at the mole, the remains were met by the go- 
vernor of the -island, accompanied by the generals of the 
■military staff. They were then conveyed in the utmost 
pomp to the cathedral. Masses and the solemn ceremo- 
tiies of the dead were performed by the bishop, and the 
mortal remains of Columbus were deposited in the wall, 
on the right side of the grand altar, where they still re- 
main. 

It is with deep satisfaction that the author of this 
work is able to close his history with the account of a 
ceremonial so noble and affecting, and so honourable to 
the Spanish nation. When we read of the remains of 
Columbus thus conveyed from the port of San Domingo, 
after an interval of nearly three hundred years, as sa- 
cred national relics, wdth civil and military pomp, and 
high religious ceremonial, we cannot but reflect that it 
was from this very port he was carried off loaded with 
ignominious chains, blasted apparently in fame and for- 
tune, and taunted by the revilings of the rabble : such 



APPENDIX. 327 

honours, it is true, are nothing to the dead, nor can they 
atone to the heart, now dust and ashes, for all the wrongs 
and sorrows it may have suflered ; but they speak vo- 
lumes of comfort to the illustrious yet slandered and per- 
secuted living, encouraging them bravely to hear with 
present injuries, by showing them how true merit out- 
lives all calumny, and receives its glorious reward in the 
admiration of after ages. 

Note. — While this abridgment was going to press, the author receiv- 
ed a letter from Madrid, mentioning a recent circumstance, which may 
be of some interest to the reader of this work. The emancipation of 
the Spanish Colonies in America had stripped the heirs of Columbus of 
aiU tlieir property, insomuch that his last direct descendant and repre- 
sentative, the Duke of Veraguas, a young nobleman of worth and ta- 
lent, was reduced to extreme poverty. He instituted a claim upon the 
government for indemnification, which has just been allowed. A pen- 
sion of twenty-four thousand dollars has been assigned him on the re- 
venues of Cuba and Porto Rico. It is a circumstance highly to his 
credit, that, in the time of his greatest distress, he refused sums that 
were offered him for various documents in the archives of his family, 
and particularly for autographs of his illustrious ancestor. 



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